ANNE Marie Dunphy’s high performance athletes weren’t the only ones to enjoy a successful trip to Hartpury, as reported in last week’s edition, because Simone Hession’s para dressage team also achieved a number of wins and placings.

A former world number one in the U18 para dressage rankings, Katie Reilly proved unbeatable across the board in the CPEDI3* Grade III classes. With Keystone Dawn Chorus, she began her week with a win in the Grand Prix A on 73.167%. She followed that up with a win in the Grand Prix B, and again in the Freestyle on a huge 76.312%.

Reilly’s compatriot Paralympian Jessica McKenna finished second to her in each of these classes riding DCI Cerruti, while Kate Kerr Horan was third in the Grand Prix A on Lykkebo’s Don Akino, making it a clean sweep of the podium positions for team Ireland in that class.

Rosemary Gaffney made a welcome return to international competition with her own, Sue Smallman and Mary Dennehy’s Norabel in the Grade IV classes. She was fourth in both the Grand Prix A and the Grand Prix B, before climbing to second in the Freestyle on 71.583%.

Speaking after the Freestyles last Friday at Hartpury, HSI’s para dressage high performance manager Simone Hession said “Hartpury CPEDI3* was another good show for us and an opportunity to build towards the World Championships in August with strong performances from all four combinations.

“Both Katie and Jessica showed further quality in their work and Kate also maintained consistent scores throughout. It was great to have Rosemary return to the team with her new horse Norabel, who scored well over the three days and demonstrated the potential to increase her scores further.”

Aachen success

Rosemary Gaffney continued from Hartpury to Aachen this week, where she was joined by Grade I rider and current U18 world number one, Clodagh Walsh. Riding Chantal, a horse formerly competed and partially owned by Gaffney, Walsh finished third in Thursday’s Grand Prix A on 68.427%.

She went one better in the Grand Prix B yesterday, rising to second on 68.403%. Both classes were won by Gemma Rose Jen Foo, riding for Hong Kong. In the Grade IV Grand Prix A on Thursday, Gaffney finished 11th on 65.231%. That class was won by Paris bronze medal winner Kate Shoemaker riding Vianne. The Freestyle classes take place today, Saturday.