THERE were some excellent performances from competitors at Grove last Sunday for the latest Irish Pony Club/Connolly’s Red Mills eventing qualifier.

However, the talking point of the day was the car which, going through the flags the wrong way, failed to jump the drop ditch at 10!

Fortunately, although he had never before been faced with such a situation, course builder Peter Ponsonby just happened to have the ramps from his own trailer at Grove and, with the assistance of some very strong men, got the car moved in no time at all. Happily driver and car were uninjured in the incident.

Ponsonby’s course caused plenty of problems in the 13-runner open class as did the Pat Walsh-built show jumping track. The only double clear was recorded by the winner, Killinick’s Noel Dunne and his unraced Warcraft gelding Warship (39.2). The leader after dressage on 26.8 was another Killinick member, Rachel Rowe with The Artists Apprentice, but she slipped to second with the addition of 4.8 cross-country time penalties and two down show jumping.

There were two very well-filled intermediate sections, the first of which was won by Waterford’s Eimear Larkin, who completed on her dressage score of 30.2 penalties with the 20-year-old bay gelding Rigby Diamond. Co Limerick’s Sophie Mullane improved a place from Crecora to finish second on 30.4 with the Connemara gelding Independent Johnny, a five-year-old Fernhill Danny half-brother to Josie Jump (by Currachmore Cashel).

Kildare’s Lauren Murtagh recorded an all-the-way success in section B, where she completed on her winning dressage score of 24.6 penalties, with Anna Gavin placing second for the Golden Vale branch on the Connemara gelding Badgerhill Apollo.

Lauren, a daughter of classic-winning jockey-turned-trainer Johnny Murtagh and his wife Orla, was on board another Connemara gelding, the 11-year-old Bruckless Elmar (by Linsfort Boy). This grey used to be ridden by Lauren’s sister Caroline, who rode a winner, trained by Johnny, at Ballinrobe on Monday.

Six of the 11 starters failed to finish in the novice intermediate class where the honours went to Scarteen’s Julia Crowe, who recorded a double clear to complete on her first phase score of 39.3 penalties with Legend’s Moon. This was another good performance by Crowe and the Connemara gelding by Ard Talisman as he is just a four-year-old.

There was an excellent entry also at Junior level, which necessitated a three-way divide.

In section A, Waterford’s Kate Kelly led throughout, although adding 0.4 of a cross-country time penalty to her winning dressage score of 29.6 on the nine-year-old Hunters Firefly, with whom she also competes under SJI rules. The grey gelding used to be ridden by Padraig Fives, who was competing in the World Youth Pentathlon Championships at the weekend.

The Meath branch got on the scoreboard through Ellen Meade and the 15-year-old black gelding Athaboy Billy, who claimed section B on their winning dressage score of 20.8 penalties.

In section C, the West Waterford club came to the fore thanks to the efforts of Charlotte Dangerfield, who added nothing to the 25.8 penalties she received in the dressage phase with the 15-year-old chesnut gelding Magneto Gold.

In common with their open counterparts, riders in the under-12 section did their cross-country phase before tackling the coloured poles. The consistent pairing of Carlow’s Sophie Walsh and CEC Cue To Call landed section A on 21.5 penalties, while section B went to Waterford’s Muireann Kinsella riding Massbrook Carrabello (28.8).

Young Lara Lillingston brought up a double for the Scarteen branch when landing the combined training class with Peanut.