HANNA Bjoremark and Michelle Dunphy teamed up to win The Irish Field Pairs’ class for Mill Road Riding Club. Swedish native Hanna said: “We are both thrilled with the win.

“I am based in Abbeyleix and am just back competing after surgery. I started competing on my rescue cob MLHR Cian five years ago and am fortunate to be trained by Anne Marie Dunphy.”

Michelle added: “We are great friends. It was so exciting and so much fun. Sport Boy and I are trained by Amy Kinnane. The great thing is that our horses look so cute in the pairs format, as they are both black cobs with distinctive white blazes.”

Emma Jay Curran, the spouse of Army Equitation School Olympian Commandant Geoff Curran, proved how talented the Curran family are by winning The Irish Field RC Preliminary 3 class with the six-year-old Clonfad Winter, a horse she has had since the mare was a two-year-old. Having qualified for the ride-off, the Nessa Briody-trained Curran topped the final standings to secure the win for Cill Dara Riding Club.

Fairytale Hero

Irish Horse Welfare Trust graduate, the 14-year-old skewbald gelding IHWT Hero impressed former senior Irish international dressage chef d’equipe and leading judge Vida Tansey. A score of 72.69% with Thomastown and District Riding Club’s Sinead Codd saw them win The Irish Field Novice class.

Tara Dalton and Dilly Diamond representing Twinfort Riding Club were the winners of The Irish Field Medium class. Jill Southern partnered Suzanne Kenny’s home-bred Ardmount Rio to win The Irish Field Dressage to Music (Novice/Elementary/Medium) class.

The Killegar Riding Club member said: “I’m delighted to win here at the AIRC Festival. I’m from the North of England originally and based in Ireland for over 20 years.

“Ardmount Rio is a lovely mare to compete on. Many thanks to Suzanne and my trainers, Iris Walshe and Heike Holstein.”

The impressive Ardmount Rio also placed third in the Ark Equine showing side saddle class for owner/breeder Suzanne Kenny.