THE Association of Irish Riding Clubs held its Connolly Red Mills-sponsored national dressage championships last Sunday at the Mullingar Equestrian Centre where the competitive action started at 9am and concluded at roughly 6.30pm.

For the fourth time in the fixture’s history, the team competition was won by Hollybrook Riding Club, who previously claimed the honours in 2009, 2014 and 2023. The club, which is one of the oldest in the country, is based at Brennanstown Riding School where it is nurtured by Jane Kennedy and her daughter Louise Bloomer, the club trainer.

Bloomer had a big input into coaching this year’s team but didn’t travel to Mullingar as she was competing in the Eventing Ireland one-day event at Frankfort Stud. There, in the 26-runner EI100, she finished fifth, on her dressage score, on her thoroughbred gelding Ballydrummond and sixth on Jinnie Webb’s Irish Sport Horse gelding September Moon who had a fence down show jumping.

At Mullingar, and mainly in 20m x 40m arenas, the Hollybrook squad of Joanne Logue (Elementary), Roisin McMackin (RC P3), Amanda MacGowan (RC P3) and Helen Webb (RC P2) saw off 17 others to win the team event on a combined two-test score of 418.551%. The club was also represented at RC P3 level by Liesel Warrington who competed on Andelise Trump as an individual.

Originally from Co Waterford but a longtime resident of Co Wicklow where she is a secondary school teacher in St Mary’s College Arklow, Logue won the individual Elementary championship on her Irish Sport Horse mare Little Lottie (140.23%). Ashbrook’s Mairead Dolan was reserve with her eight-year-old ISH mare Belperhill Aint She Sweet (139.82), a bay by the thoroughbred stallion Sinatra while Twinfort stalwart Owen Smyth finished third with his 22-year-old Hanoverian gelding Dark Site (136.40).

A treasure

Little Lottie, a seven-year-old bay by Cormint out of a Diamond Chin mare, was described by Logue, who trains with Judy Reynolds and Anne Marie Dunphy, as being “Gentle and affectionate. She is an absolute pleasure and treasure. She was Novice champion at the recent Dressage Ireland South East Region Classic where she placed third in the Elementary championship.

“We are going to compete at the DI national championships in Ballindenisk at the end of this month at both Elementary and Novice levels. Last year, ‘Lottie’ was Preliminary Category 2 champion, reserve Novice champion and was Novice freestyle champion. I also have a yearling Warmblood filly from The Netherlands which I hope will be successful in future years.”

Roisin McMackin, who was making her national level debut on Sunday, has been riding since she was 10 on riding school horses until buying her team mount Councel Queen Bee in 2021. She and the 16-year-old ISH mare by Dow Jones Courcel out of Kilcavan Saphire, by Loughehoe Guy, also compete in riding club show jumping competitions.

Also competing at national level for the first time, Amanda MacGowan is a primary school teacher who has been riding at Brennanstown since she was a child. She partnered the ISH gelding Calliaghstown Flight, a 21-year-old son of Laughton’s Flight who was bred by the late Grainne Sugars. ‘Yorkie’ is a former 4* event horse who is now giving a lot of fun and pleasure to club members.

The fourth team member, and the third national debutante, was solicitor Helen Webb who rode her own nine-year-old Belline Princess India who was traditionally-bred by Eventing Ireland board member Richard Ames.

When living in Britain, Webb owned two show cobs and thought she would buy something similar when she moved here. Instead, she purchased the then four-year-old ‘India’, who is by Dilshaan out of the Huntingfield Heathcliff mare Cliff Hanger Lady, and she has been competing the grey at regional level since then.

Quartet

The Tara Hill club fielded two teams, both of whom got in the placings. The quartet who placed second on 418.488% comprised club secretary Jemma King (Drumbo Jessie), safety officer Jane Brady (Cruicetown Island), Damien McCormack (Cloonan Hector) and chairman Chris Carter. The last-named, who is also a board member of the AIRC, rode the eight-year-old ISH gelding Bohermeen Pure Quality (by Munther) who finished fourth in the ladies’ side saddle class at the Dublin Horse Show where he was partnered by Julie Donaghy Simpson.

Finishing third on 417.384 were Killcarrick’s Nadine Tylor (Heigh Ho Rosey), Cheryl Keogh (Hodson Bay Lass), Louise Byrne (Sylvester 2) and Jennifer Haverty (Iceford Diamond).

“The Club are delighted with their win and would like to thank Elaine Dunne and Head Office for a lovely day out and a very well-organised event,” said Hollybrook secretary Hilary MacHugh who, herself, was mentioned by Dunne, general manager of the AIRC, when she was asked for her comment on the championships.

“I’d like to thank our main sponsors, Connolly’s Red Mills, Treo Eile who sponsored the highest-placed thoroughbreds and Carr & Day & Martin for their sponsorship of the best turned-out prize,” replied Dunne.

“Others who should be thanked are Jane Whitaker who did the times, our judges, scorers, volunteers and the Fagan family.

“I should also mention all of our competitors who helped make the day run so smoothly. We were especially pleased by the number of people who came to the office to offer to volunteer on Sunday – it was truly heart-warming. It was also wonderful to welcome back Hilary MacHugh, who presented some of the prizes. It was nice to be able to acknowledge Hilary alongside Maire Quinlan Pluck and Jane Power who ran the competition for many years.”