A NEW combination on the young event horse scene came to the fore during week three of the Stepping Stones to Success League at Wexford Equestrian on Wednesday when Grantstown Trendy won the Childéric Saddles four-year-old qualifier.

Recording one of only three clear rounds in the 12-runner class, the Future Trends gelding was ridden by Swedish-born Mathilda Kiviniemi for owner/breeder Caroline Widger whose niece, Jesse, dominated Wednesday’s event pony class with three rides running under the same prefix.

“Grantstown is the home place and a few of us are working out of there,” explained Caroline, for whom this win was a slightly delayed birthday present. “Myself and my partner Tom (O’Riordan) usually sell our horses as youngsters but we decided to hold on to a few and see how that goes.

“It was my brother Johnny who suggested the Stepping Stones for this fellow and we took him to the dressage league here earlier in the year to get him used to the place.

“He’s a big horse but kind. He did a bit of hunting with the Woodstown Harriers and is a great horse across the country. We will finish off this league with him and then think about the Dublin qualifiers. He was the only one of our four-year-olds ready early but we could have others coming out later.

“Unfortunately, his dam (Burggraaf Lady, by Burggraaf) died last year but I have two fillies out of her by Royal Concorde.

“Mathilda who rode the horse is from Sweden and has been working in the yard for the past three years. It was a great result for her. We found everyone here at Wexford Equestrian – the organisers, the judges and the course builder – to be really helpful and encouraging,” concluded the Waterford producer.

Kiviniemi’s clear round for 163 points with Grantstown Trendy proved crucial as the combination were only lying equal fourth (45.5) following Liam Maloney’s assessment of the dressage phase.

The flat winner on 51.5, Tullibards Chance Taken (Jennifer Kuehnle), also most impressed Johnny Kyle (conformation) and the jump judges, Ian Fearon and Sweden’s Dag Albert, who awarded him a combined score of 164.5 points. However, the Tullibards Bennys Legacy gelding, who won the first qualifier, had 10 of these deducted for a stop at the fourth cross-country fence. He still managed to finish second with third place going to Susan Fitzpatrick’s Metropole mare MRF Tiffin (204.5) who jumped a clear round under Linda Murphy.

Although some people could head home after the Stepping Stones qualifier, Jennifer Kuehnle, who had only arrived back in Ireland the previous day following her very successful show jumping trip to Belgium, travelled up to TRI Equestrian on the Curragh for a publicity shoot.