AS well as co-ordinating these winter finals, Dressage Ireland board member Jane Whitaker judged three of the four trailblazers’ classes in the outdoor arena where her task, and that of her fellow judges, was made more enjoyable by the sunshine.

Bernie Foley joined Whitaker to judge the senior trailblazers’ Preliminary championship where their winner on a score of 70.690% was Claremorris’ Ciara Hanley and the former international show jumping stallion Captain Caruso, a 13-year-old home-bred son of Captain Clover who was previously campaigned by Ciara’s brother Cormac.

Máirín Cassidy was Whitaker’s fellow judge for the two junior trailblazers’ Preliminary championships.

Their under 12 winner was Gorey’s Ciara O’Connor on the eight-year-old chesnut gelding Brandon Zimbabwe (74.659), with whom she also competes in showing classes, while Kara Madden took the honours for the North Munster region in the 12-16-year-old championship with Stanley Grange Regal Request (75), a 13-year-old chesnut gelding by Willowcroft Regal Bronze.

sportsman

Cassidy judged the senior trailblazers’ Novice championship along with Damian McCormack and here they narrowly came down in favour of Katie Behan and the 11-year-old black gelding Jet The Hero (68.370).

Staying in the outdoor arena, the same two judges assessed those in Sunday’s two Sportsman championships where their winner at both Preliminary (73.103) and Novice (71.848) levels was a delighted Aimee Maxwell from Belfast and her 21-year-old gelding Romeo.