Margie McLoone

WHILE all will be hoping for better weather conditions at Blair Castle next month, Sam Watson and Horseware Lukeswell had a good warm-up for the European eventing championships when winning Sunday’s Connolly’s Red Mills SuperLeague A/CNC** class.

On a score of 41.8, the Carlow combination was just over six penalty points clear after dressage from fellow European squad members Camilla Speirs and Portersize Just A Jiff (47.9) who didn’t go across the country and just skipped around the two-star show jumping track hors concours.

Most of the 16 who tackled the fixed fences came home unpenalised but only two pairings, Elizabeth Power on Soladoun and Joseph Murphy on Electric Cruise, recorded clears over the coloured poles.

Horseware Lukeswell had one down for a completion score of 45.8 as did the Murphy-partnered Sportsfield Othello (53.9) who is now heading to Burghley. Tegan White and Texan Style, who are competing in the CIC*** at Millstreet this weekend, also added four penalties to finish third on 57.1.

Cooley rules

Watson and his 10-year-old Puissance gelding picked up double Connolly’s Red Mills points in this final leg of the SuperLeague to finish third (17 points) in the series, immediately behind Fraser Duffy and Fernhill Revelation (23) and the winners, Rebecca Dunlea and her 12-year-old Captain Clover gelding Cashelane Captain. The Red Mills championship takes place at Loughanmore next Saturday, September 5th.

Having been withdrawn before the cross-country phase of the CIC** at Camphire last month, Categorically Cooley led from start to finish to claim the CNC** here on his dressage score of 27.5.

Katie O’Sullivan’s only ride at the fixture, the seven-year-old Master Imp gelding has impressed since starting under the Cooley Farm banner but this was his first success.

The bay, one of a number of Cooley winners over the weekend, was bred in Co Louth by Cormac O’Rourke out of the Crosstown Dancer mare Silverline Dancer who had a colt this year by Diamond Roller and has been scanned in foal to Creevagh Ferro.

Delighted with this victory, Richard Sheane commented: “I think this is a good horse but a typical Master Imp.

“He’s a real bucko but I told the girls he’d be a better horse towards the back end of the season.

“He’ll go to Millstreet for the seven-year-old class and we’ll decide then where to go next.

“I was very impressed with the great job they did at Tattersalls given the weather,” he concluded.

Also completing on their dressage scores to finish second and third were Joseph Murphy on Donnacha Anhold’s homebred 10-year-old Calvaro mare Cailnea (30.2) and Aidan Keogh with the seven-year-old Lord Noble mare Pride Of Tredstep.

Alison Holden recorded a very impressive victory in the seven-runner open novice class with the only double clear on her husband Eamon’s O My Balladeer. The eight-year-old My O My gelding, who completed on his winning dressage score of 29 penalties, reverts to two-star company this weekend.

Out of 21 starters, only three clear show jumping rounds were recorded in the CNC* class, by the winner and second, and by Fiona Fitzgibbon and Some Chick who, unfortunately, were eliminated for three refusals at the first element of the ditch at 10 on the final leg.

Ian Cassells took the top six points here on Heather Gaffney’s Ringwood Minim (29.8) who he was riding in public for just the second time, having finished ninth on the eight-year-old Draoicht Dubh gelding first time out at Annaharvey.

Fellow Co Kildare rider Melanie Young completed on her dressage score of 31.5 to place second on the British-bred six-year-old Sorbet.

Just seven days after winning the individual open title at the IPC eventing championships, Michael Healy and the six-year-old Sovereign Water gelding Soverign Guy returned to Tattersalls to record their first Eventing Ireland success in the Tredstep Ireland CNCJ* class.

With the only double clear in the seven-runner class, the Co Cork combination completed on their flat work mark of 33.5 giving them a near six-point advantage over the dressage winners, Stephanie Stammschroer and Tullabeg Horizon who picked up nine costly time penalties in the show jumping phase.

Stammschroer had immediate compensation when she landed the CNCP** on her dressage score of 34.3 with the seven-year-old Billy Mexico mare Morelands Affair. Of the four starters, they were the only ones to complete.

All 10 finished in the EI100P class won on her dressage score of 27.8 by Rachel Power Wall and the 12-year-old brown gelding Scots Clan while also recording her first EI win was Holly Love who claimed the EI90P class with the part-bred Welsh gelding Dryffe Wandering Minstrel, a seven-year-old by Dawnway Sunny Boy.