THE West Midlands Region moved out of their country on Sunday when they staged their Connolly’s Red Mills/Association of Irish Riding Clubs dressage championships qualifier at the National Sport Horse Arena in Blanchardstown where the judges for the day were Yvonne Monahan and Ivor Harper.

As there were 11 teams forward, three clubs qualified for next month’s championships in Mullingar with the honours, on a total of 220.67%, going to Tara Hill.

The successful quartet comprised the very experienced Edel King (Open) with her 21-year-old Hanoverian Don Quixote, Maura Walsh (Intermediate) and the five-year-old piebald mare DTS First Flight, and the Advanced Primary pair of Jane Brady with her 10-year-old grey mare Cruicetown Isla plus Grace O’Brien and her Irish Sport Horse mare Ballygriffin Judy, a 14-year-old grey by WRS Sun Rich.

The Mosstown club, represented by Barbara Maguire (Cotterstown Blue), Sue Moles (Captain James T Hook), Eilis McLoughlin (First Man Lara) and Emer O’Donnell (Mosstown Tod), qualified in second place on 209.42 ahead of Annaharvey’s Ursula Fitzpatrick (Tinnakill Kizzy), Shauna Hughes (Tierhogar Seve), Matilda Falkede (Shanbeg QT) and Maureen Dillon Bowers (Doris Rebel)) on 208.59.

Not too surprisingly, with a score of 77.80, Tara Hill’s Walsh won the 18-strong Intermediate class on DTS First Flight while her teammate Edel King won the four-runner Open with Don Quixote.

Killegar’s Dell Quinn, who also competed at the North East Region qualifier at Killossery Lodge Stud the previous day, topped the leaderboard in the 25-runner Advanced Primary section with her 17-year-old bay gelding, Clooninsla Stan.

At Advanced Intermediate level, it was Headfort’s Zazel McCarthy who fared best of the 11 starters with her Irish Sport Horse mare Finsceal Endeavour, a six-year-old bay by Metropole.

The sole entry in the Primary class was Tara Hill’s Chris Carter with the well-known Irish Draught gelding Cloonan Hector, a nine-year-old grey by Clew Bay Bouncer.

All mentioned, and seven other combinations, have qualified for the individual championships at the finals in Mullingar but, before then, the Co Westmeath equestrian centre is the venue for the Connolly’s Red Mills/AIRC show jumping championships which will be hosted on Sunday next, July 11th.