THE formbook went out the window in the Horse Sport Ireland-sponsored Junior/Young Rider event horse final as the RDS National Equestrian Championships commenced on Tuesday at Lambertstown where they were run in association with the Young Eventhorse Series.

The first two in the league failed to make the placings behind the Jess Widger-ridden winner, Grantstown Mr Big (88.1 marks) who claimed the title ahead of the one of five OBOS Quality 004-sired produce in the field, Mr OBOS Hullabaloo (86.3) who was ridden for Mary Malone by Blathnaid Boyd.

The traditionally bred winner, who finished third at both Scarteen and Forth Mountain, is by the deceased Brazilian thoroughbred Mr Big Cat and was bred in Co Mayo by Anne Hussey out of the Ard Grandpa mare Hollyhill Grandpas Gift.

He is owned by the rider’s uncle Johnny Widger who has evented the bay at both EI100 and EI110 level. As she did when reserve in the Junior equitation championship at Dublin in 2017, Widger credited her uncle and his partner, Ciara Power, for her success.

“He’s a dream horse but Ciara and Johnny have done a lot of work with him,” said Jess who turned 17 at the end of July and has had some good results lately at EI100 (J) level with Peadar Murphy’s Connemara Ballinaclough Caruso (who is entered at Tattersalls tomorrow) and her mother Laura’s Grantstown Spirit.

“They’re the only eventers I’m riding at present but I’m jumping a lot of young horses and ponies. I have Grantstown Spirit and a four-year-old Bonmahon Master Blue gelding entered in the Discovery classes at the international in Millstreet next week.”

Eight of the 13 horses forward for this championship jumped clear around the Dereck Hamilton-designed track. These included the two Puissance mares, Sinoia Chelsey and LadyCraft, who finished third (86) and fourth (85.7) under Conor Leahy and Christopher Whyte respectively.

Horse Sport Ireland was represented throughout the day by Nadia Rea while also on-site from early to late were Pat Hanly and Fiona Sheridan from the RDS. The Society’s equestrian committee was represented by Flor Madden, who too put in a long day at Lambertstown, with Professor Owen Lewis venturing out to an equestrian event for the first time since taking over as President of the RDS at the end of 2019.