THERE were a lot of non-completions on Saturday at Tullylish where the Stevenson family hosted the final qualifier for the Irish Draught and Connemara performance championships at next month’s Dublin Horse Show.

Former international event rider Carol Swan stole the show when, on her first start in a such a competition, she qualified her own Connemara gelding Monaincha Ross. However, once again, there were many withdrawals and, more worryingly, many eliminations particularly over the higher track.

“The standard of some of the riding and production was poor,” commented course builder Adam Stevenson. “We had a top-class competition here on Wednesday for the young event horse qualifier but some of the horses and ponies forward on Saturday were just not fit enough. This is not a working hunter and more pace and committed riding is needed for these solid fences. Some of the jumping of the Trakehner was frightening.”

Swan, who qualified her Kilmore Diamond gelding Monaincha Ross in second place in Section B of the younger Connemara class, only competed having been persuaded to do so by her daughter Olivia, who took over ride on the grey this season, and son Harry who had partnered the seven-year-old in the three previous qualifiers.

“As she has only just turned 14, Olivia is too young to ride in this class and Harry, who narrowly failed to qualify on him at Forth Mountain, where they were third in their section, was competing at Kilguilkey at the weekend,” explained Swan. “I ride the ponies for the kids when they are at school but it’s years since I’ve competed and I certainly never did a competition like this! Olivia will ride the pony in the 153cms working hunter class at Dublin.”

While landing the second qualifying ticket on a total of 233, the Michael Morrissey-bred Monaincha Ross, who is out of an Island Lad mare, finished 13 points adrift of the winner, Carrig’s Island Lad, another to have done all four qualifiers and who actually finished a place behind his rival at Forth Mountain.

Owned by Kilternan’s Charlotte Glynn, the winner recorded the only clear in the 13-runner class and received the full 10 points for rhythm and fluency. This was one of only two rounds during the entire day where the maximum points were awarded in this phase and both this roan gelding and the Irish Draught four-year-old Black Dawn Boy were ridden by Diarmuid Ryan.

Carrig’s Island Lad is a son of Castleside Carrig and was bred on Clare Island by Sean O’Grady out of the Moy Johnny’s Pride mare Beechmount Star.

While much has been written in the national media about the appointment of former attorney general Máire Whelan to the Court of Appeal, here we are more concerned with the Chief Justice, Mrs Susan Denham, whose two home-bred Connemara geldings booked their qualifying tickets on Saturday.

FLUENCY

The half-brothers were both ridden by Alicia Devlin Byrne who ‘won’ the flat phase of Section A of the five to seven-year-old class on the dun Bertraghboy Beau Geste but then had a fence down with the 2010 son of Gwennic De Goariva. Although receiving a point more for both conformation and rhythm and fluency than the eventual winner, Bertraghboy Beau Geste had to settle for second place on a total of 234 points.

Recording the all-important sole clear in the class was the six-year-old Gurteen Paddy gelding Breeogue Breeze (234.5) who is owned in partnership by rider Caitie Slater and her near neighbour Becky Cullen. The latter, Horse Sport Ireland’s pony eventing team manager, missed this victory as she was attending the Kilguilkey House international horse trials.

Bred in Co Sligo by Tom Curran, Breeogue Breeze is out of the Earl Of Castlefrench mare Furry Grey. He has been competed by Slater in five EI100P classes this season, winning three times and placing second last time out at Glaslough. On Friday the pair contested the RDS pony club combined training qualifier at Moyallon but, after lying second following the dressage phase, lost out on qualifying when lowering one show jump.

There was a third qualifying ticket on offer in this section which was awarded to the Westside Mirah mare Glenmore Miss Mirah. The five-year-old roan, who completed on 225.5 points, was ridden for Paul O’Connor by Chloe Rooney.

Four of the 10 starters in Section A of the eight to 15-year-old class were eliminated but there was a clear-cut winner in Susan Denham’s Bertraghboy Heaven (241). The 10-year-old dun owes much of his success to his excellent flat work mark (68) as, while recording the only clear round in the class, he failed to impress the rhythm and fluency judge who only awarded him half of the 10 points at her disposal.

Both this winner and Bertraghboy Beau Geste are out of the Callowfeenish Mairtin mare Maoilísa.

Sive Ryan claimed the second qualifying ticket here on Sandra Hatton’s nine-year-old Glencarrig Sea Biscuit mare Glencarrig Jenna (229.5).

There was another runaway success in Section B where, recording the only clear, Jodie Creighton completed on a score of 242.5 with her mother Gillian’s Charleville Farah who was bred by Olive Lynch out of Abbeyfield Farah, by Ross Loobeen.

The winner, who had been placed in two working hunter classes at the recent Royal Highland Show, is by Monaghanstown Fionn as is the second-placed Park Fionn who qualified under Andrew Matthews on a total of 211. Here, only three ponies finished from the seven who started.