THE Longford Branch hosted the final qualifier for this year’s Connolly’s Red Mills eventing championships at Corbeagh House on Bank Holiday Monday.

As the last of three qualifiers held over the weekend, this fixture suffered in terms of entries but not in terms of quality as the four-runner Open was won by the Westmeath Branch’s Jodie O’Leary on the 10-year-old piebald gelding My Ballintoghers Cracker Jack. This combination has won four EI100 (J) classes this year and were seventh of 29 in the CCI1*-Intro class at the Fernhill Sport Horses Mallow (Kilguilkey) international in late June.

Amateur jockey Timmy Love held a good lead after dressage in the Intermediate class on DSL Allegra (28.3) but, when that five-year-old Jack Of Diamonds gelding lowered a pole, the Meath Branch member just held on to win narrowly from Westmeath’s Sam Carey who completed on his dressage score with the six-year-old Barnaby Flight gelding SCSH Barnaby (32.5). Longford’s Emma McHugh also finished on 32.5 but Carey’s was closer to the optimum time across the country.

The Meaths also won both divisions of the Junior class. In Section A, Isabella Gogan completed on her winning dressage score of 30 penalties on the Connemara gelding Sheeba’s Boy, a 14-year-old grey by Monaghanstown Pat. In Section B, Jack Lord shared the lead on 22.5 after the flat work phase with Gearoid Bolger (Freemount Tayto) but while that Waterford raider was eliminated, Lord completed on that score to bring up a treble on the day for Meath.

The Junior Starter went to the Ward Union’s Alanna Redmond with Fiery Diplomat, another combination to complete on their winning dressage score.

The Under 12s’ section was also divided and here, Westmeath’s Kevin Healy landed Section A with Fortmill Abel Diamond, while Cavan’s Lucille Carolan topped the leaderboard at the end of Section B with Elden Queen Of Diamonds.

Kildare’s Sarah Smullen was the winner of the 10-runner combined training class on Bonnetsrath Tomboy.