Margie McLoone

THERE was only one section of primary riders in The Irish Field dressage section of this year’s AIRC Festival at Stradbally Hall but probably delighted not to face a ride-off was the winner, Paul Murray.

The Castle Hill member not only won on a score of 74.44%, ahead of Ashbrook’s Niamh Campbell on Boots (72.50), but he also claimed the Horse Sport Ireland Irish Draught dressage special award with his mount Gentle Henry.

This 10-year-old Merry Mate gelding, on whom Murray also finished second in the primary jumping and fourth in one of the primary showing classes, was bred in Co Galway by Gerard Flynn, out of the Powerswood Purple mare Powerswood Blonde.

Gay Keenan won the competitive advanced primary final on the 20-year-old chesnut gelding Cloncaw Smartie for Border Counties. The club had a much smaller number of competitors than usual at this year’s Festival, but still managed to win section C through Roisin Dick and the 11-year-old Colin Diamond gelding Colin Clover.

Keenan was only second in her qualifying section, one of three, to Castledermot’s Zoe Shannon and the French thoroughbred Dodge City, a 15-year-old grey gelding by Pistolet Bleu, while section A went to Corrib’s Evelyn Coyle and her similarly-aged bay gelding Temple Troy.

Narrowly beaten into second in section C of the intermediate by Ashbrook’s Jane Averill and Moneybog Black Jack, Corrib’s Sophie Browne went on to land the final with her 14-year-old skewbald mare Wish Upon A Star.

Third in the ride-off was the section A winner, Anvil’s Sharon Reams and the 17-year-old dun mare The Coalmans Daughter.

Tracey McKeown, representing Castle Hill, landed section B with her five-year-old liver chesnut Harlequin du Carel gelding, Ardeo Chocolate.

Both Pat Creighton and Derval Diamond judged the poorly-supported young horse class where Cheval’s Claire O’Dwyer topped the leaderboard on her four-year-old Emperor Augustus gelding Kingcarra McKenna.

On Saturday, advanced intermediate riders competed in the long arena where the winner was Mullingar’s Caroline Tobin and her chesnut mare, Columcille Hill, an eight-year-old by Cloneen Clover out of the Master Imp mare Smart Fair Lady.

The following morning, the long arena was first occupied by those competing at intermediate level, the narrow winner being Castle Hill’s Lisa McLaughlin and the former point-to-point horse Foxfield’s Rumba, a 13-year-old gelding by Top Of The World.

Sunday was a good day for the Connemara Rosscon Camille who, partnered by Mosstown’s Thomasina O’Reilly, picked up one red rosette for her win in the advanced intermediate dressage. She was also successful in the showing section.