THE very busy Leinster Region staged a show last Sunday in Redhills where, after a lengthy break, one competitor – Helen Cooke – rode side saddle in the two Preliminary classes.

“I don’t know when I last saw someone competing side saddle, it must be 20 years at least!” exclaimed show secretary, Clare Fitzsimons who very much enjoyed her day in the sun at her outdoor desk in the compact venue. She did, however, don her judge’s hat for the larger of the two Elementary classes.

Kate Dwyer, who has been doing a lot of coaching this year (“It’s something I love”), recorded three wins on her return to the national competition circuit, claiming the two Advanced Medium classes on Vaalserberg and the Medium 61 on Harmony, two Irish Sport Horses.

“Vaalserberg will continue to work at Advanced Medium level and hopefully towards Small Tour at the end of the year,” said Dwyer of the nine-year-old Creevagh Ferro grey. “I was super pleased with Harmony. She will do more Medium competitions but is working to Advanced Medium at home,” the rider added of the seven-year-old Blue Hors Hotline mare.

Last behind Dwyer and Harmony in that Michael Moore-judged Medium 61, Lucy McCarthy and Llyod W fared much better before Harmony’s breeder, Dermot Cannon, in the BD69 where they topped the scoring on 66.67.

Another three-time winner on the day was Sean Burgess who topped the marks in both Novice classes on the attractive six-year-old Netto mare DHI Kikkis (75.17 (BD22) and 73 (DI24)) before recording an uncontested victory in the Advanced BD101 on the eight-year-old Charmeur gelding Imperioso WW (66.22).

Dressage Ireland chair Marguerite Kavanagh claimed the three-runner Advanced BD105 on a score of 66.72 with her home-bred ISH gelding Fursten (by Furstenball), while Greenogue-based Kevin Acres recorded a double in the Prix St George (70) and Intermediaire I (69.85) with Ganesh, a 10-year-old son of Jazz.

Side saddle riding

The opening Preliminary classes attached sizeable entries with 17 appearing in front of Jean Halpenny (DI18) while just four fewer performed before Lynne Cassidy (BD19). On 70.63 and 79.58 respectively, the winner in both instances was Antonia Ward riding Avril Bradford’s ISH mare Candy West. The successful Sligo Candy Boy eight-year-old was bred by Loretta Devaney out of Touch Off Oriel (by Grand Touch).

On her traditionally bred Irish Sport Horse gelding Lackaghbeg Augustus Star, the aforementioned Cooke finished second (68.96) behind Ward in the DI18 and achieved a score of 69.58 in the other Preliminary class.

Many will have read of Cooke’s transition to a side saddle rider in an article on getting fitter and healthier written by Arlene Harris which appeared in The Irish Times in mid-February. Briefly, Helen, a mother of four living in Co Meath, took up the discipline when she discovered she could no longer ride astride following intensive chemotherapy and radiotherapy on her pelvis to treat colorectal cancer in 2019.

“Last September, I rang Julie Brindley of the Side Saddle Association of Ireland and she was very helpful. She also put me in touch with Joanne Quirke for a couple of lessons and she is now my full-time coach while I also keep my horse at her new yard in Rathmolyon.

“Lackaghbeg Augustus Star (a traditionally bred eight-year-old gelding by Emperor Augustus) was bred in Co Galway but I bought him last September in England where he had been shown in hand as a young horse and as a lightweight show hunter. Side saddle was a new discipline for him as well so we are learning together.”

Cooke and her grey are not competing at this weekend’s Dressage In The City Festival. “No, this weekend I’m riding in the side saddle class at Carlow show and the plan is to mix it between showing and dressage for the summer. Next winter, we are going to concentrate on dressage.”

Rebecca Keane had mixed luck at Elementary level with Falco. She topped Cassidy’s assessment of the BD40 on 75% but, on 67.96, could only finish fifth in the Clare Fitzsimons-judged DI51 where the winner was Lucy Cusack with Kirktown (72.04).

Iris Walshe took the honours in the two-runner young horse Preliminary class on Leroy VZ (67.50), while there were uncontested wins for Sarah Mellor with Let’s Dance (65.22) in the Grand Prix and for Jessica McKenna and Rockmills in the Para Grade III individual (64.85) and team (67.94) tests.