THE Western Region of Eventing Ireland staged the first leg of its inaugural Starter Stakes league for young event horses and ponies last Saturday at Claremorris Equestrian Centre where a good-sized entry was complemented by perfect weather and an excellent atmosphere.

The aim of the dressage phase is to find horses with elastic, scopey, regular gaits who have been trained in a correct manner; the test is not judged on individual movements but on a horse’s potential. Saturday’s flatwork phase (BE90) was assessed by List 1 judge Vida Tansey who had 70 marks at her disposal.

For the jumping phase, where 50 marks were on offer for a clear round, course designers Charles Hanley and Fergal O’Neill produced an inviting track with a good mixture of coloured poles and cross-country fences, including a water feature. There were plenty of clears with just one combination failing to complete across all four classes.

Co Mayo stallion master Liam Lynskey has been actively promoting the league since it was first mooted and, through his Derryronane Stud, he and good friend Matt Gordon are sponsoring the five-year-old division.

However, it’s not simply a case of largesse on their part as they are also competing for a share of the overall prize-fund and, on Saturday, combined to win the 12-strong Padraig Howley-sponsored Sligo Candy Boy four-year-old qualifier with DS Shotgun. Home-bred by Lynskey, the Irish Sport Horse stallion scored the day’s highest flat work score (59) under Gordon and, while he had a fence down for the loss of four marks, the bay won on a total of 105.

DS Shotgun is by the Holstein stallion Comthago VDL out of Celrite M (by VDL Harley) who comes from the family of VDL Orestus (Olympic Games and sire) among others.

First foal

“He covered his first book of mares last season and his first foal was actually born on Sunday,” Lynskey revealed to the Irish Horse World on Monday. “He’ll keep going in this series and will continue with his breeding duties while competing during the summer. He has fantastic movement and is a real eye-catcher.”

Jason Doerflinger finished second and third on the ISH geldings Milchem Good Luck (103.8), a chesnut by Goodluck VDL, and WHS Lincoln Supreme (103.5), a bay by Mr Lincoln B, and, for good measure, also placed fourth with a chesnut son of the same sire, WHS King Lincoln (100.4).

The result was a lot closer in the five-year-old qualifier where the honours went to Co Westmeath’s Chistopher Whyte and the ISH mare Good Luck Omalley (103.4). By the aforementioned Dutch Warmblood stallion Goodluck VDL, the white-faced bay was bred in Co Galway by Brendan O’Malley out of the Rich Rebel mare Rebel Jane.

“My father Terry and I bought this mare at the backend of last year,” said Whyte. “I gave her a couple of hunts and then let her off for a break. She’s back in work around a month and we’re just trying to put mileage up on her. We won’t rush her but, hopefully, we’ll get her out eventing this year. We think she has a bright future ahead of her.”

Co Clare-based Niamh Tottenham finished second with her home-bred ISH gelding, Slieve Callan Gael (103), a grey by Tyson, while Amy Grady placed third on the Connemara gelding Glynsk Star (101.8), who is also a grey but by Lonsdale Legend.

There were just three starters, and a clear-cut winner, in Saturday’s qualifier for the Treo Eile thoroughbred class which is being sponsored by Athenry trainer Paul Gilligan.

Leading throughout was Co Galway show jumper Sarah Wiers who had a fence down with the nine-year-old Mahler gelding Border Control (100.7), while similarly penalised over jumps, Fergal O’Neill finished second on the year-older Golden Lariat gelding Lasso Dourado (94.9).

The winner, who last ran in October 2018 when he was pulled up in a beginners’ chase at Downpatrick, was placed in a bumper and three times over hurdles when trained by Joseph O’Brien. He was bred by John Leahy out of the unraced Anshan mare Annas Ruler, a half-sister to Rule Supreme (by Supreme Leader) whose eight wins included three Grade 1 chases.

Broderick on the ball

There were 12 starters in the five and six-year-old pony qualifier sponsored, through his Milchem Equestrian Centre, by regional chairman, Ralph Conroy, who had an involvement with the winning combination.

This was 11-year-old Joshua Broderick with his mother Olive’s Belgium Warmblood pony Lincoln D’Abzer (107.6), a five-year-old 138cms bay by Oxford van de Mespeleir out of Nymphea, by Okapi de Rendpeine.

“Although Joshua is still riding 128s, he is getting tall so I decided to buy a 138 pony for him at the start of last year,” explained Olive. “I was finding it difficult to get a blood 138 but, when I mentioned this to Ralph, he said he had one for me!

“Joshua did the Western Region’s combined training league on this pony and one other and he is really riding well thanks to all the dressage he has done. This pony will finish out the league and will perhaps mix it between jumping and eventing over the summer.”

Second place went to Oisin McDonagh who was also clear on the 2017 mare Milchem My Lady (103.8) but five penalty marks in the jumping phase proved costly for the dressage winners, Lara Field and her mother Marjorie Hardiman’s home-bred ISH mare Creganna Milady (103). Six days earlier, Field and the five-year-old Koro d’Or bay had finished fifth in the 80cms final of the Horse Sport Ireland affiliated combined training league.

The league continues tomorrow at Clare Equestrian Centre with the remaining two rounds taking place at Milchem EC on Sunday next, April 3rd, and, a week later, Sunday, April 10th, at Galway EC. The top five competitors in each class hold a qualifying position but must attend two qualifiers to be eligible for final, which is also at Milchem, on Easter Monday, April 18th.