THE third leg of the North East Region’s autumn dressage league, sponsored by White’s Agri and held at Jordanstown, was hosted last Saturday by Copperfield Riding Club.

Co-ordinator of Dressage Ireland’s national championships in Cavan, club secretary Jane Whitaker returned to horseback to compete in the league on Saturday and judged at it as well, taking charge of the primary and advanced primary classes.

Her first winner, on 67.50%, was Drynam’s Jenny Webb and her British-bred nine-year-old skewbald gelding Litchfield Buzz. Killossery’s Pauline Creagh finished second with Helena Misty Eve (67.30) and both combinations are on 12 points in the league, just behind Moyglare’s Johanna Gilligan and her thoroughbred gelding Youdbe (14) who only picked up three points when fifth (62.88) on Saturday.

Drynam’s Julie Griffith had to settle for second place with Blueberry Hill (69.80) in the advanced primary division as Whitaker’s top marks went to Thornton’s Lauren McCann and her seven-year-old bay mare Rising Star (70.96). After three legs of the league, McCann is in fourth place on 10 points, behind a trio of Griffith, Castledermot’s Zoe Shannon and Fingal’s Mary Hagan who have a dozen points apiece.

As Whitaker had very little time to ride Coppermine Maggie recently, it wasn’t surprising to find the pair had to make do with second place (60.40) in the Sportsmans B class behind Castle Hill’s Lisa McLaughlin on her 14-year-old Crosstown Dancer mare Cruaghs Giddy Up (62.90).

Cheval’s Bernie Foley judged this class among others and, in the open, had McLaughlin and Cruaghs Giddy Up in third (59.65) behind another Castle Hill combination, Mairead Dolan and Master Touch (65), and Drynam’s Hannah McDowell and Slieve Mish Hero (63.10).

Dolan and her 14-year-old Touchdown gelding head the open league on 14 points, ahead of McDowell and her year younger Clonakilty Hero gelding who are on 12.

With a second win from two outings, Kilronan’s Louise Somers tops the advanced intermediate league on 14 points with her Irish Draught gelding Indian Mist, an eight-year-old by Cappa Cochise, but only by a single point from Killossery’s Dearbhle Creagh on Tickle Time who didn’t compete on Saturday.

Somers claimed this third leg on a score of 67.62 with Tara Hill’s Michelle Peppard and Tinkas Rook, who were making their first start in the league, placing second on 67.38.

Third there on 65.95, Karen Gibney went to the top of the Sportsmans A league with a second win in two starts on her five-year-old Connemara Black Diamond Bob, a grey by Kilmore Diamond. They won (67.14) from fellow Copperfield representatives, Louise Kavanagh and Fred Showtime (60.89).

Helena Fitzgerald consolidated her position as leader (20 points) of the intermediate league when winning for the second time in third starts (second first time out) on Gentleman James, her 17-year-old bay gelding by Clover Dubh.

Foley awarded the Ashbrook combination a score of 72.72 which left them well clear of their nearest rivals, Tara Hill’s Grace Martyn on Ballygriffin Judy (68.64). Milestone Lodge’s Ciara Wynne, who finished third on Saturday with My Lady Arabella (65.68), lies in second place in the intermediate league on 13 points.

The €300 gathered will be donated to the Pieta House charity. The fourth and final leg of the White’s Agri league will be hosted by Cheval on Saturday, October 19th.