LAST Sunday, Ashbrook Riding Club held its annual Derby Day for the 15th year in succession at Killossery Lodge Stud where the weather conditions were perfect for competing, being somewhat cloudy but mild and dry.

The Horse Mad Store show jumping section was judged in the sand arena by Laura Carrick over a course built by Killossery’s Frank Glynn and here, apart from Meath’s Catherine McCann winning the 70cm class on her 15-year-old Connemara mare Kilroe Bui, the honours were spread throughout the North East Region.

Castle Hill’s grading officer Niamh Murphy won the newcomers’ 60cm class on the 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Clabbystown Little Tom, Ard Lú’s Carolyn Matthews claimed the red rosette in the 80cm class with her nine-year-old ISH gelding Capitol Warrior while Drynam’s Aisling Wilson ran out the winner of the 90cm class on board her 16-year-old ISH mare Lady Pixie Jones.

Here, Ashbrook’s Shauna Kidd finished second on the brown ISH mare Killossery Khaleesi ahead of her mother/Ashbrook secretary Jayne Kidd riding Good News Scotty. Shauna then took over the ride on that 16-year-old grey gelding to record an uncontested success in the 1m class.

The Horse Mad Store also sponsored a turn-out prize in this section which was awarded to Cheval’s Rebecca McIntyre and her thoroughbred gelding Chubi Chekker, a 12-year-old grey by Clodovil.

Handy horse

The handy horse section was judged on grass by Ard Lú secretary Linda Nulty who built the course and provided a much-appreciated video of the obstacles being ridden in advance of Derby Day. This section saw the introduction of a new sponsor to the North East Region in the guise of the famed Co Kerry hotel, Royal Valentia.

The three winners were Drynam’s Susan Murray riding her nine-year-old skewbald gelding Dunsandle Multi, Cheval’s Sarah Crosbie with MLHR Naydne and Castle Hill’s Eithne O’Halloran on her seven-year-old ISH mare Milltown Suzie.

Dressage

Between Graded and open competitions, eight classes were judged by Bernie Webb and Jane Whitaker in the Premier Performance dressage section. Copperfield secretary Whitaker was meant to compete on Sunday but immediately agreed to judge when Bernie Foley had to stand down following the death on Saturday of her mother Kay O’Dwyer. All clubs in the NER join with Ashbrook offering their condolences to Bernie and her brother Liam.

Two arenas catered for dressage outdoors with the warm-up taking place inside. Four Graded winners represented Drynam, viz Melissa Callan on the 17-year-old ISH mare KEC Cloudz (RC P1), Fiona Cox with her seven-year-old skewbald gelding Dellrose Boy (RC P3), the club’s grading officer Stacy Forsyth on Spuddy (RCN) and Julie Griffith riding her 17-year-old ISH gelding Blueberry Hill (RCE). Meath’s Joy Murray claimed the honours in the RC P2 on her 13-year-old bay cob Bee Smooth.

Special awards

A number of special awards were presented following the Premier Performance dressage section starting with that sponsored by Vintage Locks for best turned-out which was awarded to Cheval’s Gerry O’Byrne and his Connemara gelding Doon Finn, a 10-year-old grey son of Newgrange Lad.

Through its VetSpec brand, TopSpec sponsored prizes for the highest-placed veteran horse, won by Drynam’s Julie Griffith on the aforementioned Blueberry Hill, a daughter of Rineen Clover, and for the highest-placed Irish Draught won by Drynam’s Emma Fristedt on her six-year-old Ceide Prince gelding Drynam Golden Prince (second in the RC P1).

The prize for the highest-placed thoroughbred was awarded to Thistoshallpass, winner of the open Preliminary class (DI 5A) in the hands of Border Counties’ Caroline Bellew. This six-year-old bay by Watar, who holds an entry in today’s EI90 (T) at Hazeldene, pulled up on his only start in a four-year-old geldings’ point-to-point maiden at Lingstown (close by Wexford Equestrian) in November 2023.

Thistoshallpass is a new recruit for Border Counties unlike the well-known bay gelding Cloncaw Smartie who, still representing the club at 29 years of age, was placed under two different riders at Killossery on Sunday.

For this and next weekend, the focus is on regional qualifiers. Tomorrow, the Ard Lú club is hosting the Forans Equine/AIRC RC70 and RC80 team jumping championship qualifier at Monasterboice Stables while tomorrow week the Mullaghmore Club is running the Premier Performance/AIRC Dublin team show jumping championship qualifier at Kernans EC.