There was a low-key start to the Northern Region’s autumn season on Saturday at Tullymurry, where Steven Smith ruled supreme in the novice class and firm going resulted in a number of withdrawals at all levels.

“The ground is what it is, you just had to respect it,” said Smith who filled the first three places in the 10-runner CNC*, his only rides of the day. “I took all three of my horses slowly downhill but let them gallop on uphill.”

For the most part, the cross-country tracks were level and ran over the lower part of the Co Down equestrian centre, only finishing in the higher field after the water. The show jumping ring was in the field behind the indoor school where horses warmed-up.

As ever, the cross-country fences here were well-built and presented and cleverly decorated; sand was spread on the landing sides and on the road crossings. On the one-star track, a black-flag option of a hayrack skinny had been put in at the trakehner where Elaine O’Connor had her bad fall in the spring, but only two combinations took that route.

Jordan Ritchie-Smith jumped the trakehner brilliantly on Crack N Touch in the CNCJ* but parted company from the Out Of Touch mare at the last of four elements of the water at fence 18. This was the only cross-country fall, the majority of the eliminations on the final phase being for jumping the wrong fence or leaving one out entirely.

Like course designer David O’Connor, course builder Tony McManmon spent much of the morning at Tullymurry before heading to the wedding in nearby Downpatrick of Elaine’s brother James Turley.

In the absence of the landowners, Camilla Manningham-Buller took on the role of local organiser. Her team of fence stewards included the former Eventing Ireland chairman John Wright, who travelled up from south Dublin. There was a relaxed, friendly atmosphere on the day as the sport got going again in the region exactly where it stopped on May 10th. With a break this weekend for Camphire International, the next one-day event is at Vesey Lodge on Saturday next, August 2nd.

EASY DAY

Gilford’s Steven Smith had an easy day by his standards with just three rides but he made the best of them, filling the top three placings in the novice class where he was easily the fastest of the nine starters across the country.

Smith won with the big jumping My Ballymac Bay on whom he has taken over the ride from Katy McKenzie, who partnered the eight-year-old to be placed in six of his seven pre-novice classes in the spring. The Out Of Touch gelding, who was bred by Ross Crawford and competed briefly in Britain, added 4.4 cross-country time penalties to his winning dressage mark of 24.

Raymond McArdle’s inexperienced seven-year-old The Irish Ambassador completed on 38.7, which included 5.2 penalties for time on the final leg, while the eight-year-old Glass Moss took third under Smith on 38.8. Like his stable-companions, this thoroughbred gelding is for sale.

The remaining graded classes turned out to be uncompetitive.

Camphire-bound Robert Suffern was always going to withdraw the dressage leader Rio (32.5) after show jumping in the two-runner O/CNC*. This left Ballyclare’s Alison Crothers winning with her 11-year-old mare Waikato Ko whose total of 41.2 included 5.2 penalties for time over the fixed fences.

The four-runner CNCJ* was reduced to two by the start of cross-country following the withdrawal of Richard Wilkie’s Camphire mounts, Val Thorens (36), who had show jumped clear, and Single Malt who had added eight show jumping penalties to his flatwork mark of 30.5.

With the leaders, Jordan Ritchie-Smith and Crack N Touch, being eliminated close to home on the final phase, Toby Purce recorded his second successive victory with Stan From Meelin. The Dromore combination finished on a total of 51.5 having lowered one show jump and picked up 14 cross-country time penalties.

My Gypsy Rose, the sole entry in the CCP**, was withdrawn before cross-country by Justine Harding who also pulled Lucy Bready (31) from the pony one-star class after dressage.

Here, Ciara Gilroy was left to finish alone with the very consistent Connemara Hill Storm, a nine-year-old by Lochinvar who has never been out of the first two in six starts. The pair added 2.8 cross-country time penalties to their flat work score of 27.5.