Just two days after the announcement that Ireland will send a dressage team to the forthcoming Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Normandy, history was also made at home with a record entry of over 230 for the Leinster Region Dressage show at Coilóg in Kildare last Sunday.

The venue is new to the pure dressage circuit, and riders and organisers were full of praise for the facilities and perfect footing, while the four arenas were a frenzy of activity with 27 competitions.

Many of the big guns were out and Yvette Truesdale scored a double when unchallenged in the FEI Grand Prix with Has to be Fun, and topping Elementary D1 with Woodcroft Waltzer.

Triple Olympian and 11-time national champion, Heike Holstein, however was the real show-stealer when winning four classes with her two exciting rides, Sambuca who excelled in the Preliminary DI P18 and the Novice BD 38 and the seven-year-old Sweeps Crystal Cruise who topped the Advanced Medium/Junior FEI class and the Advanced BD 100.

Belinda Brereton and Captain Negro C pinned Truesdale and Best Buddy into runner-up spot in the Advanced Medium BD 94, while Amanda Goldsbury and Troytin were convincing winners of the Prix St George, finishing more than four marks ahead of Dale Roberts and Enigma who were the sole contenders in the Intermediate 1, posting 60.66 for the red rosette there. Goldsbury also claimed a Novice red with VSH Eddy.

One of the most exciting classes of the day was the Red Mills Under 23s Inter-Regional Team event won by the South Munster side of Stephanie Marwood, Orlagh Cottier, Charlotte Butler and Sophie Day. But their final tally of 211.69 left them less than a full mark ahead of the second-placed Leinster “Y” side of Roisin Winters, Linnea Larkin, Aoife O’Connor, Kate Gibney and Rose Whitely.

Claire Maher (Ballykeeran Boy) and Sofie Walsh (Loughfadda Horseleap Bruno) recorded double-victories while Hannah Fleming (Haslemere Boy), Tara Hayes (Bantiss Holy Joe), Nina Reinbold (Sandro K), Orlagh Cottier (Ben), Kerri Lyons (Olympic Cool), Kate Kennedy (Springfield Rondo), Bernie Foley (Killossery Buddy), Bethany Mackey (Don Fernando) and Sonya McCormack (Bounce Back George) were also in the winner’s enclosure.

Leinster Dressage chairman David Keane said: “This was the biggest one-day show we have ever staged. Participants from all disciplines are recognising the importance of dressage in helping them improve their performances, and we are actively searching for the next generation of international riders and youth development squads. Coilóg is a wonderful venue, and Leinster Dressage are delighted to have them as a partner.”