IRISH riders featured on the final day of the three-star Keysoe dressage international show in Great Britain on Sunday with Fenella Quinn and Creatzo taking sixth place in Intermédiaire I Freestyle to Music class on a score of 68.67%.

Britain’s Andrew Gould and Blue Hors Dexter won all three small tour international classes in Keysoe including the Intermédiaire I Freestyle to Music on a 73.77% total.

Aberdeen-based Quinn (25), who made her international debut for Ireland in the small tour classes at the CDI3* show in Hartpury last July, and the 13-year-old gelding placed fourth in Saturday’s small tour Intermédiaire I class at the venue.

Pony classes

A team of six Irish pony riders, managed by Horse Sport Ireland youth dressage team manager Anne Marie Dunphy, competed in the pony international division at Keysoe this year. In Sunday’s FEI Pony Freestyle to Music class, Ireland’s Martha Jobling-Purser and Valido’s Starlight scored 69.91% for fourth place.

Rachel Carr placed eighth on a score of 68.20% with Calelvador May Blossom putting her one place ahead of Oscar O’Connor and Top Hero 2 in ninth on a 67.50% total. Shona Benner and Der Kleine Sunnyboy We won all three pony international classes.

On Saturday, Jobling-Purser and Valido’s Starlight scored 67.43% for fourth place in the FEI Pony Individual Test class. Ireland’s Cillian Curran and Blokland’s Hoeve’s Amor placed sixth on a 65.32% total.

“I’m very pleased with the performance of our pony riders,” said Anne Marie Dunphy. “It is great that we have more strength with six riders here and the quality of the performances is improving.

“Three of the riders – Isabella Murray, Oscar O’Connor and Cillian Curran – were competing at their first FEI pony international show. We had travelled from Ireland before the coronavirus (Covid-19) restrictions were announced by the Irish government on Thursday afternoon. There were no prize-giving ceremonies here after the classes today because of the coronavirus restrictions.

“There was a great team spirit with the riders working and supporting each other.

“The Irish riders were not distracted by any of the uncertainty and remained very focused on their performances throughout the show which was very encouraging to see. The pleasing thing for me is that there is so much more to come from these riders and their ponies in the future,” Dunphy added.