NEW to the calendar last year, Rosanna upgraded to two-star level as it opened the 2016 national eventing season on Sunday, March 13th.

From then until Kilguilkey (4) in October, 44 events were run under Eventing Ireland rules which was a drop of roughly 17% from 2015 as 11 other fixtures, which were on the schedule at the start of the year, were cancelled for one reason or another.

The Connolly’s Red Mills Super League commenced at Rosanna and this 26-runner O/CNC** class was won, in spite of a broken toe, by Louise Bloomer and Hollybrook High In The Sky. A top-class entry included Sarah Ennis on her own BLM Diamond Delux (second) who were to compete at Fontainebleau, Belton, Badminton and Aachen as well as at four home internationals during the year.

Cathal Daniels placed third on Margaret Kinsella’s Sammy Davis Junior, who also went to Fontainebleau, won the young riders CIC** at Camphire and ended his season when 14th in the CCI** at Le Lion d’Angers in October. The Kilcullen-based Galway native was fourth on the same owner’s Rioghan Rua, the homebred mare who landed the Advanced National Championships at Tattersalls in August and also competed into October when she placed 12th in the CCI**** at Pau.

Maria Byrne finished fifth on Class Affair, who was to fill the runner-up role at similar level at the end of the month to China Doll at Millstreet (1) before being placed at CIC** level at home internationals in Ballindenisk and Kilguilkey. After their 10th place finish on their three-star debut at Millstreet International, the seven-year-old OBOS Quality 004 gelding was sold into the Gloucestershire yard of Zara Tindall.

The Rosanna field also included Clare Abbott and Euro Prince (seventh), who were to compete at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Nicola Ennis and Westwinds Jack Of Hearts (ninth), who won two national one-day events and finished fourth in the CIC*** at Ballindenisk in September, and Elizabeth Power and Soladoun (20th) who had two third-place finishes at CIC*** level in both Chatsworth and Gatcombe. Before the final show jumping phase, Michael Ryan withdrew Dunlough Striker who was to end the season winning the CCI*** at Millstreet in August.

After finishing 19th at the Co Wicklow venue, Sam Watson and David Bogossian’s Tullabeg Flamenco travelled to Belton where they were ninth in the CIC**. Their efforts at home, which saw them win the 21-runner O/CNC** at Ballinamona (1) in July, ahead of Daniels on Rioghan Rua, Ciaran Glynn with November Night and Daniels on Sammy Davis Junior, and finish second to Nessa Briody on Tom Boy in the National Championships at Tattersalls, secured the Connolly’s Red Mills league for the Co Carlow combination.

CHALLENGING WEATHER

The 2016 campaign in the Northern Region commenced on Saturday, March 26th, at Tyrella where, in spite of the extremely challenging weather, Steven Smith showed he was determined to hold on to his title as leading rider in the region with a win in the O/CNC** on Bonito. Mullentine High Society, one of the many promising horses sold out of the country during the year, landed the CNC** under Suzanne Hagan.

Female riders won all 15 classes at Tyrella (2) the following weekend when the weather was a lot better but the ground took a hammering and, with more rain falling, it wasn’t surprising to learn that the third event scheduled for the Co Down venue was cancelled. Happily, Tyrella (4) got to run on April 23rd.

Unfortunately, later in the year, the Northern Region also lost Finvoy (2) to heavy rain and sadly Scarvagh House, one of the country’s best venues, didn’t run at the end of the season due to a change in farming policy – nor, disappointingly, does it appear in the schedule for 2017. While based in north Leinster, there was a lot of Northern input in the returning Glaslough in June which would have been repeated in September had that too not fallen foul of the weather.

Ballinagore and Marguerite Lodge returned to the eventing circuit in 2015 but didn’t run this year nor did Boden Park and Glandoran, venues which often hosted multiple fixtures.

While some venues struggled to attract runners during the year others had no such problems. The Glynn family had a record 270-strong entry for their north Co Dublin grounds for the first of their two summer events in late May while the ever-efficient team headed by Rosemary Ponsonby were well up to the challenge of 320 runners descending on Grove (1) the following month.

The popular Co Waterford venue of Ballinamona attracted 383 entries for their first fixture in mid July with 300 combinations being listed for Kilmanahan in late September before Grove (2) catered for 300 entries in early October when fog shrouded the morning’s dressage and show jumping phases.