ONE of the best-known horses in the North Eastern Region is Cloncaw Smartie who, at last Sunday’s NER/Equipet winter show jumping league final at Cloncaw Equestrian, won the Primary class in the hands of Kileane Goubert and the Primary league under her Border Counties’ teammate, Sarah Lester.

The liver chesnut is owned by Geraldine Bellew of Cloncaw who purchased the Irish Sport Horse gelding as a five-year-old in 2001 from the late Peter Newman of Edgeworthstown.

“We bought a number of very good horses over the years from Peter,” said Bellew. “They would break them, hunt them and get them going and then we would buy them. They were all for resale, apart from Smartie. I could have sold him numerous times – anyone who has ridden him has wanted to buy him – but I always said I would never sell him.

“He is used in the riding school for adults and children and, while he could still compete at Intermediate level in Riding Club competitions, these days he is usually partnered by Advanced Primary or Primary riders. Sarah, who won the Primary league on him on Sunday, only started riding just over a year ago. He is an absolute star and worth his weight in gold!”

Cloncaw Smartie, who has no recorded pedigree, competed at Open level in eventing with Geraldine’s daughter Caroline McQuillan some years back. In recent seasons however, he is better associated with Advanced Primary rider Gay Keenan with whom he was on the winning team at the National Dressage Championships in 2016.

The previous year, Smartie and Roisin Watt were on the team which finished second at the Championships.

Under current club chairman Dean O’Neill, Cloncaw Smartie was on the Border Counties team which won at the National Eventing Championships in 2016.