PATRICK Byrne had a mixed day at the second Stepping Stones to Success league qualifier held at Wexford Equestrian on Wednesday.

The Ballygrangans Stud rider again won the Nupafeed Supplements thoroughbred class on his own and brother Thomas’ Destination Street but prefaced this success on a very chilly day with a right old ducking when his own five-year-old mare, BGS Lux Electric, stumbled on landing in the water!

Lar Sutton of Irish Sport TV recorded the soggy mishap and the video was shared not only within the equestrian community but also among the gaelic fraternity as Byrne, a member of his local Kilmore club, played football at county level for Wexford. The home-bred BGS Lux Electric is entered in the EI100 at Crecora tomorrow. Among those on hand to witness the incident live was Nupafeed’s Samantha Noble who travelled to the Tomhaggard venue in the company of Gowran Hunt Horses’ Brian Murphy.

The latter, who sourced three potential show horses for the Noble family before Christmas, regularly schools horses at Wexford Equestrian but was paying his first visit to a qualifier.

Besides the ducking, it was a good week for Byrne who was placed on his two rides at Clyda (1) on Sunday and was delighted when the six-year-old Thewayyouare gelding Destination Street doubled up on Wednesday.

The bay comfortably won both phases to complete on a total of 186.9 points. This left him some way clear of the unraced KMS Timeless who achieved a score of 166.6 under Cathal Daniels who owns the Watermill Swatch stallion in partnership with Kylemore Stud.