REFLECTING the ever-increasing standard of dressage in this country, Ireland fielded a record total of nine combinations at Keysoe CDI in Bedfordshire last weekend.

Leading the Irish charge at big tour, Roland Tong finished inside the top 10 in Friday’s Grand Prix. On board Sandra Kirkpatrick’s 12-year-old gelding Rybrook Ambience, he scored 66.84% for ninth place, his collectives edging him ahead of Britain’s Alex Hardwick, who finished on exactly the same average.

Less than a mark behind her compatriot, Kate Dwyer took 11th with the home-produced Snowdon Faberge. Their score of 66.02% was an improvement upon the marks they achieved on their international debut at Roosendaal in December, and is sufficient to contribute to their qualification for this year’s European championships.

All three Irish riders progressed to Saturday night’s Grand Prix Freestyle, where National Champions Anne Marie Dunphy and Urbanus were the first to head down the centre line. Their performance saw them finish in 15th place.

Earning a massive 70.25% from judge at M Peter Holler brought Kate Dwyer’s overall score up to 66.84%, which was eventually good enough for ninth, while Roland Tong’s mark of 68.90% promoted him into the top five and was the best Irish result of the weekend.

Small Tour

Ireland was represented by two young professionals who made their senior international debuts successful ones in the small tour section. Rachel Dowley and Alice Hurley both secured top 10 placings on their promising 10-year-olds, Cadens and Deseado CCV.

Improving upon their 12th place in the opening day’s Prix St Georges, current National Inter I Champions Dowley and Cadens scored 67.28% to finish sixth in this class, and both riders progressed to the following day’s Freestyle. Here, Hurley moved up the leader board to finish eight with Karen Bourdon’s PRE stallion.

Junior High Performance Squad members Bethan Pereira and Roisin Muirhead both contested the CDIJ, while former European team rider Robyn O’Neill and international rookie Vicky Campbell took part in the pony equivalent.

Riding Diane Heffron’s experienced chesnut gelding Witto, Roisin Muirhead finished eighth in the opening day’s team test as well as 10th in the concluding freestyle, in doing so securing qualification for the Junior European Championships.

Both pony riders also achieved this feat, and climbed into the top 10 in Sunday’s freestyle, with Vicky taking seventh and Robyn ninth. High performance squad manager Anne Marie Dunphy was pleased with her students’ performances, saying “they acquitted themselves well in such competitive company, and their results reflect the continued development and success of HSI’s high performance programme.”