THE link-up between Tullibards Stud and Amanda Goldsbury continues to prove beneficial to both parties with the pair combining to win the Equijump pony producers’ class at Wexford Equestrian on Wednesday during assessment day two of this year’s Stepping Stones league.

Leaving partner Michael McNally at home in Co Meath to look after the remainder of their in-form string of event horses, Goldsbury travelled south with Hans Kuehnle and two of his five-year-olds, Tullibards Bennys Special and Tullibards Evita, who finished 11th and 17th respectively in a field of 42, and two Connemaras for the event pony class.

Here, the New Zealand native dominated proceedings as she partnered Tullibards Sands Boy to comfortably top both the dressage and combined jumping scores on 57 and 139 and win by a 10-point margin on 196.

“He was on fire!” said Kuehnle of the John Bohan-bred winner whose name appears on the Connemara Pony Breeders Society register without the Tullibards prefix. The five-year-old bay gelding is by Slackport Prince out of the Westside Mirah mare Brandy Hill. “He was just broken when I bought him privately in Longford before Christmas,” revealed the owner.

“Amanda has done a great job with him but, as she is competing at Ballindenisk next week, my daughter Jenny will ride the ponies at the Stepping Stones while the horses will have a bit of a break before competing at the viewing day and the finals.”

On his first start at the Stepping Stones league, Matthew Dickenson finished second with Evelyn Tobin’s five-year-old Connemara gelding Loughnageer Prince (186). This bay by Burning Daylight only arrived in the rider/producer’s MD Equestrian yard in Wicklow town on Monday. Better known as a show horse producer, Dickenson has competed twice under Eventing Ireland rules this year. Pauline Dahill placed third with one of five four-year-olds in the class, Emily Pickering’s Bohola Hero (184.1), a Connemara gelding by Ross Fear Bui.

Winning streak

Shirley Berry’s Pentridge won the Perfect Eventer thoroughbred class for the second week in succession under BGS Sport Horses’ Thomas Byrne. The six-year-old Shantaram gelding led after dressage on 24.5 penalties before recording one of five clear rounds in the eight-runner class.

The Berry horses are obviously in good form as Shirley’s husband Johnny saddled the newcomer Reserve Judgement to win his maiden at the Tipperary Foxhounds’ point-to-point on Sunday.

Also for the second week in a row, a Galileo stallion finished second but on this occasion it was Galileo Dance (27.2) who was unplaced in a bumper and four flat races when trained by Joseph O’Brien for breeder Charles Fipke.

Now owned by Julie Radden and ridden here by Patrick Whelan, the French-bred five-year-old is out of the Curragh maiden winner Dance Secretary (by Danehill Dancer) who was Group 3-placed. She is from a family of American black-type performers.

While Covid-19 restrictions mean that no spectators are allowed attend the assessment days, Wexford Equestrian’s Orla Roche reports that potential buyers have contacted her, expressing an interest in some of the horses and ponies who have competed over the first two legs of the league which continues next Tuesday, April 20th.