MILL Road Riding Club scored an emphatic victory at the Horseware Team Show Jumping Championship qualifier last Sunday at Roscrea EC where the Tipperary-based club filled the top three places.

The Thurles club members took first, second and third overall, a remarkable achievement with 64 riders competing in total on 16 teams, representing nine clubs in the West Midlands decider. Mill Road’s first-placed team included Sarah Neville, Ber Bourke, Deirdre Sheedy and Raphael Walsh who booked their ticket to the RDS on Sunday, August 13th next.

After the first round, five teams representing three clubs were on a zero-score including Clonlara, Devils Bit, and three teams from Mill Road. Unicorn followed on two penalties with three teams from Clonshire further back on four penalties.

In the second round, however, fortunes changed as it all came down to the last rider into the arena from Mill Road. Raphael Walsh had to deliver a clear round on Let’s Party to ensure the club secured the title as they were the only team left with a chance of finishing the day on a zero score.

The Kilkenny resident duly delivered on her 14-year-old bay ISH mare to secure her team a place in the RDS final.

Ber Bourke (Thomastown Dolly) and Deirdre Sheedy (Featherbed Lass) jumped the other clear rounds for the winning side while Sarah Neville (Johnny J. Oxx), who provided the discard in the second round, had jumped a clear round earlier in the day.

The remaining Mill Road teams, in contention, filled second and third place after both tied on four penalties each. However, under the rules of the championship, fourth place Clonshire, will go forward to contest the wildcard qualifier at next month’s Riding Clubs Festival.

Returning to the RDS for the third year running is Highland Lodge Riding Club. Twelve teams, representing six clubs, sought qualification from the South West region of the AIRC at Hitchmough’s Riding School in Cork.

Rain cleared for the opening round where eight of the teams returned over Declan Cunningham’s course with nothing to add. They included Highland Lodge, Knocknamana Country and two each from Earls Well, Kerry and North Cork.

After the second round, only three teams remained on a zero tally, forcing a three-way jump-off between the team captains from Earls Well, North Cork and Highland Lodge.

North Cork’s Tonje Brenne entered first on Rococo Zephyr, and had a very quick round but unfortunately knocked the second from home to finish on four faults in a time of 30.61.

Next in, Fiona Fitton from the Earl’s Well club left all the fences intact on Ballinhassig Prince to set a target of 31.53 seconds for last to jump. Louise Horgan. The Highland Lodge captain set off at a blistering pace on Ringwood Sahara who crossed the line in a time of 30.42, and more importantly, with all fences standing to book the Monkstown-based clubs place in the final.

Fellow teammates Ann Marie Cadogan (Sandy Amber), Tara O’Brien (Caillin Leathsli) and Sinead Vallely (Clonshire Zebo) provided double clear rounds for the winning team. Earls Well will contest the wildcard qualifier at next month’s Riding Clubs Festival.