IT was a day of debuts and doubles for a number of riders who attended last Sunday’s successful Leinster Region Dressage Show at Coilog EC. The fine weather allowed riders warm up and compete in the sunshine and then sit and spectate in the warm rays whilst over a 110 tests were ridden on the day.

The Prix St George competition was the highlight as eight combinations battled it out. Local rider Heike Holstein was making her debut at this level with her very talented homebred mare Sambuca by Samarant. Judge Marian Greene awarded them a score of 70% which earned them second place to Rachel Dowley on Cadens who took the red rosette on a score of 71.58%.

It was another debut for rider Debbie Temms riding her registered Irish Draught Bannerman Breez, by Springpark Easy Breeze, in the Advanced BD 100. While fulfilling the rider’s long held ambition to ride an advanced test, the pair also secured a score of 68.13%. Catherine McCourt on board her own Captain Clover gelding Captain K was the winner of the Advanced BD 102 on a score of 62.21%.

Eastern region member Bethan Pereira’s first visit to Coilog on board Djilano Opbroeks proved successful winning the Advanced Medium BD 92. The pair were also second in Advanced Medium BD 96 to Jennifer Eagn and the Numero Uno gelding Wilson.

Eight riders competed in the medium classes but it was Eilish Von Cramon and the homebred Glenoaks Willow by Crevagh Ferro who won both classes scoring 66.97% in BD 69 and 66.91% in BD 73 from judges Vida Tansey and Marion Greene.

Leinster region’s youth development rider Roisin Winters, riding Chocolat, placed a clear 5% ahead of her nearest rival to take the Elementary BD 45 class on a score of 68.45%.

Another rider new to the level, Deirdre Kane on her attractive Ricardo Z gelding Mighty Clever, took pole position in Elementary DI 55 on 69.64%. Living up to his name, Mighty Clever proved to be just that by making it a double for Kane by also taking the Novice BD 38 on another high score of 71.94%.

Leinster member Lianne O’Shea also did the double, taking first place in both Novice DI 23 and Preliminary BD 12 on sores of 65.81% and 70.20% respectively continuing her recent run of success on the Concorde gelding Bento Van De Noordheuvel.

The Pony FEI classes saw four combinations compete - Co Cork resident Laura Dennehy made her long journey worthwhile also making it a double by winning the individual and team pony FEI tests with scores of 66.4% and 68.29% to boost their confidence ahead of their trip to compete in Hagen and Rossendal.

Hannah Moloney Quinn, riding Black River Decoded and Tara Conneely and Oldcourt Velvet were joint first in the Registered Preliminary BD 17 with Jo May riding Michelle Nelson’s OLS King Aragon winning the Category 2 section of both preliminary classes, another Leinster region youth development rider, Leanne Foster on Irish Meadows Phoenix, was first in the unregistered preliminary class.

Event rider Aoife Quigley’s attempts to improve her dressage paid off with wins in the unregistrered Preliminary BD 2 and Novice BD 34 on scores of 68.79% and 65.42% with Rehy DJ.

Four budding young dressage riders competed in the pony amateur A class and it was six-year-old Katelyn Stynes who stole the show on her 11hh pony, aptly named Lilliputs Little Dutchess. In the amateur pony B test, Ellie White on Mourne Mystery edged past her sister Isabelle to take the class.

Leinster region’s next show is on Sunday, May 29th in Killossery Lodge Stud followed by the June bank holiday Monday show in the super setting of the walled garden of the National Horse Arena in Abbottstown.

Full class details and online entries are on the Leinster Region web page.