Irish dressage riders back in the ring as 2021 season gets under way

THE 2021 Dressage Ireland season got under way last Sunday when the Leinster Region staged a show at Greenogue Equestrian while Sceilig Equestrian was the setting for South Munster’s first show of the year.

At the Co Dublin venue, Holywell Spark, winner of the four-year-old section of the Horse Sport Ireland autumn development series got his campaign off to an excellent start when landing both the Preliminary 18 (71.46%) and Preliminary 19 (76.04) under his Category 2 owner, John Gavin. The Cobra gelding, who was bred in Co Tipperary by Jacinta O’Donoghue out of the Contador mare Oneforthenotebook, may well stick to the flat for the immediate future but don’t rule out the bay making his Eventing Ireland debut later in the year.

Another Category 2 rider to record a double was Wendy Seymour who topped the scores in both Novice classes, BD 22 and DI 24, on board her 11-year-old Carrick Diamond Lad mare, Carrick Diamond Lilly (72.93 and 71.50). Davina Gray posted a comfortable success in the Elementary BD 40 with her 11-year-old Boherdeal Clover mare, Balief Clover (70.97).

Antonia Ward recorded a comprehensive success in the Elementary DI 51 with the 10-year-old Welsh pony Red Hot Butterscotch (74.44%). The chesnut daughter of Machno Carwyn is usually ridden by Rebecca Payne but, as she is under 18, she cannot compete – or take part in group training – under the present Level 5 restrictions. Payne, who is in transition year at school and her last year in ponies, is on the High Performance Development A squad with Red Hot Butterscotch and will be hoping to get back into competitive action soon to achieve the all-important international qualifications.

Ward and the pony also contested the Medium BD 61 where they achieved a score of 74.48%. However, this was bettered by Sarah Ennis on Susanna Francke and Peter Cole’s unregistered Grantstown Jackson (75.86), a combination who also won the Medium BD 69 (69.24). Olympic hopeful Ennis has joined Dressage Ireland herself this season to get into competition mode ahead of the eventing season.

Laragh O’Grady’s journey down from the Northern Region paid off as she won the Young Rider FEI Preliminary (68.91%) and the Prix St George (70.59) on her Jaguar Mail 10-year-old, Mullentine Emerald Wolfe Tone. Second in the Prix St George (67.50), Belinda Brereton gained compensation when winning the Intermediaire I with her 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, Deco (71.32).

Anne Marie Dunphy was the only competitor in the Intermediaire II with Her Highness Willow (63.97%) while, riding Let’s Go, Josephine Delahoyde saw off her sole rival in the Grand Prix (63.80).

At Advanced Medium level, Sean Burgess and the eight-year-old Charmeur gelding Imperioso WW (71.50%) won the BD 85/FEI Junior Preliminary ahead of Melanie Young with Sorbet (64.50) but the positions were reversed in the BD 96/FEI Junior Individual where Young and the 12-year-old Sisyrinchium gelding scored 68.24 compared to their rivals’ 65.29.

Impressive double

Down at Sceilig Equestrian, locally-based Gavin Smiddy recorded an impressive double at Novice (76%) and Elementary (74.81) level with DSH Showtime, the OBOS Quality 004 gelding on whom he won the five-year-old final of the autumn development series.

“He has a talent for the flat but I bought him to event,” said Smiddy of his full-brother to Claragh Olala, who, under Michael Ryan, won the five-year-old young event horse final at Dublin in 2019 and last season claimed an EI100 class at Grove before finishing second in the prestigious Michael Leonard championship at Ballindenisk.

DSH Showtime, who was bred Co Limerick by Joseph O’Reilly out of the Master Imp mare Caherline Kitty, was purchased from Maurice Coleman two years ago by Smiddy who works with accountancy firm Deloitte in Cork City. “Until the start of the eventing season, I’ll keep doing dressage with him and perhaps some combined training.”

Becca Dunlea finished second in both classes (69.67 and 68.52) with her seven-year-old Camillo VDL gelding, Clonguish Berjo (CCI2*-L), while, riding Lucy Locket (64.11), she also filled the runner-up spot in the Preliminary DI 15 behind Amy Buckley and the six-year-old Watermill Swatch gelding, Sandycove Swatch (64.64).

Laura Hagger saw off her sole rival to land the Advanced Medium with Motown (on whom she had an uncontested victory in the Prix St George), Angela Lyons topped the rankings at Medium level on Woodcroft Santa Cruz and Emma O’Flynn had a good start to the campaign when winning the Preliminary DI 18 on Diane.