The sun shone for competitors most of the day and with high temperatures causing an uncomfortable warm-up with judge Damien McCormack kindly allowing riders to compete minus show jackets.

Nina Reinbold and Sandro K clearly impressed in both preliminary category 2 sections, taking home the two red rosettes while the category 1 section of the preliminary BD 15 was won by Cloe O’Toole, riding Goldthorn Impish Diamond, after scoring a very impressive 76.52% from judge Giesla Holstein.

Damien McCormack was charged with judging the short arena elementary, novice and preliminary classes and was very happy with his novice and elementary winners. And, while he felt that some preliminary riders didn’t perform at their best on the day, he clearly liked what he saw in Angela Flynn’s performance with her six-year-old Tequila Dun in the DI P5 to award them the winning score of 75.34%.

Michael Moore partnered Partial Eclipse to success scoring 74.35% in the gelding’s first novice class while the BD 39 was claimed by Springfield Rondo ridden by Kate Kennedy.

The elementary BD 42 and BD 43 were won by Joanne Logue (Whitetree Sky) and Ruth Wiseman (Good Grief) respectively while Bernie Foley and the grey gelding Killossery Buddy claimed top spot in the category 2 BD 43 with 62.93%.

Sonya McCormack may have been the only combination to ride both the advanced medium classes and the advanced BD 100 but she produced some lovely tests, scoring a very creditable 65.63% in the advanced, aboard the former four-star eventer The Jump Jet.

The winner of the unregistered preliminary DI P15 was George Williams riding Burkes Peerage scoring 72.68% with Emily Nelson and Penny Dapples in second with 67.50%. Williams also won the second unregistered preliminary class while Lisa McLoughlin and Fox Fields Rumba were the uncontested winners of the AIRC 7.