THE JPMG CCI2*-L was a competitive affair with none of the top 19 accumulating cross-country jumping penalties and none of the top 10 rolling poles. This meant dressage was supremely influential and it was Clare Abbott and MT Kenobis Touch (ISH), fresh off an EI115 win at Tyrella a week previous, who stayed ahead of the field from the outset on their dressage penalty score of 32. MT Kenobis Touch is a seven-year-old gelding by Mullaghdrin Touch The Stars (ISH) out of Lux So Easy (ISH). He was bred by Gareth Carlisle and is owned by Gareth, Jacqueline Wright and David Wright.
Just one penalty adrift on 32 was John Tilley and Kilkenny International’s Cooley Quickfire, a nine-year-old gelding by Womanizer out of Air Cruise (ISH), who was bred by Diana H Warrington.
Hong Kong’s Yu Xuan Su accounted for third and fourth riding Samiro Cruze MC (ISH) to finish on 33.5 and riding Jones JL (KWPN) to finish on 33.6.
Sarah Ennis, who is bound for Badminton Horse Trials with Grantstown Jackson, was fifth on 33.9 with Joan O’Connor’s DS Are You Calypso (ISH by DS Are You With Me, bred by Liam Lynskey), while Fiona Kashel and Off Piste Monbeg (KWPN) rounded out the top six.
Lucy Latta had a great spin for seventh on Keamore Louise (ISH by Luidam, bred by Brian Sheahan), just a week before heading over to Badminton with RCA Patron Saint.
Maeve Deverell and Annaharvey Dunowen won the JPMG CCI2*-S at Ballindenisk \ Irish Eventing Times
JPMG CCI2*-S
It was a similar story in the JPMG CCI2*-S where all bar two of the 20 finishers avoided cross-country time penalties and only one rider among the top 10 rolled a pole.
It was Maeve Deverell who triumphed here, finishing with just 0.4 time penalties to add to her dressage score of 29.6 with her home-bred Annaharvey Dunowen (ISH by Radolin out of Who Dun It), with whom she had a phenomenal 2025 season and with whom she has now met the eligibility requirements for the European Championships for juniors in both dressage and eventing.
“I was thrilled, we have only won an international in dressage before, so this was very special. I have this year and next left in juniors, so to win against seniors was also great and everyone was so supportive and wishing me well through the whole weekend which was so nice,” Deverell said.
“We were blessed with the weather, the ground was actually super and dried up just in time. It was really nice to gallop on. The cross country was definitely challenging and there were new fences and tricky combinations, so I’m so happy with how he went. He was super from start to finish. He had two podiums last year at that level, so I was kind of hoping that I could pull it out of the bag, but it was definitely amazing to get it done.
“Our next aim is probably the two-star in Millstreet International, and then we’ve got a dressage international a few weeks later in Wellington. Dunowen has now met the selection criteria for the European Championships for both dressage and eventing, so it could be a very busy summer! He is only 13 so he has plenty of good years left and he just seems to keep improving, so I’m feeling very positive.”
Alison Holden and Lates Eddie (ISH by My O My, bred by Eddie Maloney) repeated their Lisgarvan EI110 podium place in second, also having added 0.4 time penalties to a dressage score of 33.9 to finish on 34.3.
Gaspard Maksud of France was third with Odyssey Island (ISH, TIH by Island Commander (TB), bred by Doyle Bros) on an untouched 35.5, while Zara McCarthy and Romans Red Affair (ISH by Ganesh Hero Z, bred by Tom McCarthy) were fourth on their first phase score of 36.2.
Sian Coleman and Rock Festival (ISH)(TIH) were second after dressage on 32.9, but with one show jumping fence down, had to settle for eventual fifth on 36.9.
John Tilley and Borris Cornet Coole (ISH) were sixth on 37.4.