Margie McLoone

WHAT a difference a week makes! A dry, crisp, bright morning welcomed all to Kedrah Castle last Sunday but seven days earlier conditions were not so kind at the Meagher family’s Cahir farm.

“We’ve certainly been challenged by the weather!” reported cross-country course designer and builder, Pat Meagher. “We had an inch and a half of rain here last Sunday and it was Wednesday by the time we could get out on the land. We were under pressure but riders needed the run so we were determined to go ahead.

“We harrowed and rolled all four tracks and will be doing so again during the week to have the ground right for our second Eventing Ireland event in June. We will also be working on the take-offs and landings at fences to get them back in order. We’re very lucky that we have plenty of hard-core parking here for both lorries and trailers so no one had to be towed in or out.

“Having the two jumping arenas in the field down the lane seemed to work well and riders were very positive about that. The one area where the ground was admittedly bad was the dressage warm-up but that paddock had been in use during the mounted games, which we hosted at late notice over Easter.

“We ran the cross-country over a totally new line with a new start and finish and the main water was jumped in the opposite direction (towards the venue entrance) for the first time. It’s good that we have the space for variety and change and we’ll have something new and fresh for June. The ground stood up well and it was great that we had a dry day, especially for all our volunteers without whom no event could run,” concluded Meagher.

The going was a lot better than riders expected but was holding in places and did cut up a bit before the narrower fences. The time at both one and two-star level proved impossible to achieve.

DELIGHTED

Delighted that the event went ahead so she could make her seasonal debut was Athy’s Jane O’Flynn who recorded an all-the-way success in the CNC** class with Master McCormack. The 10-year-old Golden Master gelding, who completed on a total of 61.9 penalties, had made his bow for the campaign a week earlier at Lisgarvan House.

“Robbie [Kearns] gave the horse a great school for me last Sunday!” joked O’Flynn. “Robbie is doing his Leaving Certificate this year and has his French oral tomorrow which is why he isn’t here today. I had hoped to ride Master McCormack in the two-star at Tattersalls but he got a kick before Rosanna so we were late getting out and wouldn’t be qualified in time. We’ll find something for him.”

There were seven starters in the class but the only other finisher was Cathal Murphy riding his own 13-year-old thoroughbred gelding Master Downes (78.2) who lowered one of the Meagher family’s new coloured poles.

The most influential fence on the two-star fixed track was the water at 14 which comprised two substantial bright blue rolltops, one in the water and one on the way out. Cathal Daniels got a right soaking here when Greenfort Flight Master, making his intermediate debut, put down at the first element.

Joseph Murphy called it a day when Bellscross Starlight declined to jump the two elements on his first attempt but the rider justified his trip down from Killyleagh when filling the first three placings in the O/CNC**.

Liam Maloney had both DHI Topstory and Gorsehill Pearl on 29.3 after dressage but the former, a 12-year-old Last News gelding owned by Suzanne Finlay, went ahead when marginally faster across the country (12.8 penalties to 13.6). Both show jumped clear, as did Sportsfield Othello who finished third on 49.1.

DHI Topstory and Sportsfield Othello are heading to Badminton, en route taking in this weekend’s CIC*** at Ballindenisk where Gorsehill Pearl competes in the CCI***.

Tracy Walshe had a day of mixed fortunes which started well with a win in the five-runner open novice class on Carol Gee’s Copas, a nine-year-old Concorde gelding who was having his third start in Ireland.