Up north, the well-known Glenhill Gold recently won the advanced medium and the advanced classes at Danescroft under Becky Cullen, whose immediate aim for the tricoloured stallion is Dressage Ireland’s national winter final at Cavan in early April.

Now 15, the Saracen Hill stallion is “as fit as a flea”, according to Becky’s husband Declan, who partnered Glenhill Gold to victory in the 32-runner CCI*** at Ballindenisk in September 2011.

“He likes a break from dressage and is very good at leading the youngsters when we go cross-country schooling,” reports Declan, who has just produced a video dedicated to Glenhill Gold which can be viewed on the stallion’s own Facebook page.

Meanwhile, in the south-east, Ann Lambert has been competing in the dressage league at Wexford Equestrian with her four-year-old unraced thoroughbred stallion Robin De La Maison.

The pair have also been attending Ian Fearon for jumping lessons.

“He was ridden for a week when we broke him at two, but, because we have been so busy down here, I only sat up on him again on New Year’s Day,” revealed Ann.

“Dressage is a good way to get him out among horses and I hope to do a couple of the Stepping Stone qualifiers with him and some SJI classes.

“I would like to do the four-year-old FEHL league but, if last year is anything to go by, he could be pretty busy then with mares.”

Robin De La Maison, who is a half-brother to the eventing mare Model Witness, has just nine yearlings on the ground from his first crop but covered 100 mares last season.

The bay by Robin Des Champs was approved at the Horse Sport Ireland stallion inspections in 2013.