KNOCKNAMANA Country Riding Club are heading to the RDS for the first time in the history of the club.

Earls Well Riding Club hosted the South West Region AIRC RDS qualifier in Maryville on Sunday, May 4th, kindly sponsored by Premier Performance in glorious sunshine. With five teams representing four clubs in the region and Highland Lodge having two teams, it was sure to be a very hot competition.

After the 90cm and 100cm combinations jumped their first round, nothing separated them with all teams finishing on zero. A few poles rolled in the second round, but four teams all managed to finish on zero to force the competition to a jump-off. They were the Highland Lodge White team of Maria Blomen (Belle Epona), Mollie O’Connell (Scottie) and Roz Briggs (Coevers Emperor); the Lismore team of Jennifer Maher (Cocktail Time), Robyn Jenkinson Butler (Limestone Lady Gaga), Alex Butler (Ringsfort Rubys Cruise) and John Fenton (Omeara Star), the Earls Well team of Maureen O’Brien (Gtown Casper), Kate O’Shea (Send Me On), Aidan O’Donovan (AOD Zeus) and Fiona Fitton (I.F.E.S Limited Edition); and the Knocknamana Country team of Meghan Healy (Valiant Dancer), Paulina Rudzinska (Gloutaun Trend), Ciara Hackett (Kilybeg Trend) and Caroline Marwood (Tomgar Infusion).

Unfortunate

Roz Briggs’ Highland Lodge White team was first to jump and had an unfortunate two poles down in a time of 46.53. Lismore’s captain John Fenton set off at a blistering pace but rolled one in a time of 36.66 to take up the lead. Earls Well captain Fiona Fitton tried to beat this target but unfortunately had three down in a time of 39.52, paving the way for Caroline Marwood and Tomgar Infusion for Knocknamana Country to have a clear round in a time of 55.86 to win that golden ticket and make history for the club.

Lismore Riding Club finished second and will get another chance at the wild card qualifier at the AIRC Riding Club Festival in Mullingar in June. Highland Lodge White team came third, Earls Well team fourth and Highland Lodge Blue team came home in fifth.