NEW for 2026, the Eventing Ireland spring combined training series sponsored by Plusvital reached its conclusion last Saturday at CoilÓg where five league winners were crowned (although only one was successful on the day) and additional prize-winners were acknowledged.

Referencing Saturday’s action first, Godfrey Gibbons rode half of the six entries in the EI115 and completed on his winning dressage score (26.8 penalties) with Richard Ames’s 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Ballyvillane OBOS (OBOS Quality 004 – Gleesons Coolcorran, by Young Convinced).

In the 13-runner EI110, Gibbons had to settle for second with Cohiba by Picobello Z (31.75) behind Sadie Keogh who led throughout on 31.5 with her father Aidan’s 15-year-old ISH mare LGS Ladybird (OBOS Quality 004 – Mia Slieve Galliion, by Duca di Busted). Keogh should be pleased with this win against some of the country’s top professionals.

There were 21 starters in the EI100 and one very comprehensive winner in John Tilley who, on board Carol Gee and Deirdre Lanigan’s Fernhill Quantum (21), finished with a six-point advantage over fellow Kilkenny International representative, Anna Stillwell riding Carto 8 (27). An eight-year-old ISH gelding by Colandro, Fernhill Quantum was bred in Co Down by leading show horse producer Dessie Gibson out of the unraced thoroughbred mare Mrs Buttons.

The jumping phase had marginal influence in the 14-runner EI90 where there was little separating the top five on the final leaderboard. Importantly for Saoirse Carty, she had the lowest score (29.75) from the dressage phase to take the win with the six-year-old Connemara gelding Culmore Apple Jack (Doonard Lad – Culmore Noeleen, by Magherafadda Lad).

Leanne O’Sullivan finished second with Elaine Hatton slotting into third on her 11-year-old ISH mare Rising Crest.

Carlow Pony Club member Emily Flavin-Redmond secured her win in the EI80 league when, on board her mother Debbie’s Connemara mare Galtee Honeysuckle, she shared the honours in Saturday’s five-runner final leg with Freya Fitzgerald riding the 12-year-old gelding Aille Sinoia Scooby.

League results

As the curtain came down on the series on Saturday, we learned that, over the seven weeks, there were 16 legs which attracted 820 entries and were contested by 282 riders on 401 horses/ponies.

Louise Bloomer had the CT115 league well wrapped up in advance of Saturday so didn’t appear with Martin Coen’s 11-year-old ISH gelding Atlantic Rockstar (21 points). This bay son of Beach Ball was bred in Northern Ireland by Alex Houston and her father Sam out of Missey Elliot who Alex rode at the 2011 European young riders’ championships at Blair Castle. Young Rider Gearoid Bolger finished second with Into Mischief (13).

Riding the thoroughbred gelding Ballydrummond (11.5 points), Bloomer finished fifth in the CT110 league behind winner Michael O’Toole, who amassed 22.5 points on Ballybeg Obsession (Grand Slam VDL – Zancara, by Chin Chin). Here, Aoife Madigan placed second riding Slanduff Bell X 1. O’Toole competes the seven-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding for his parents, Paddy and Mary.

Junior Rider Grace Mahon held off a strong challenge from senior competitors to top the points table on 20.5 in the CT100 league with Regina Hoctor’s seven-year-old ISH mare Ballycondon OBOS (OBOS Quality 004 – Corlina, by Corland). She and the chesnut had just a point to spare over Bernadette Muirhead and Out Of The Blue with another point back to Becky Scott and RDM Ring Of The Night.

Lucy Ferris and Maya Byrne had a personal battle in the CT100 league which brought them over to the west while the third-placed Isaac McCarthy stayed in the Northern Region with Suirvalley Little Monkey (28.5).

While Byrne did her best to turn things around on Saturday it wasn’t enough and she had to settle for second with Tranquil Master (31), two points adrift of Ferris who claimed the honours on Connemara gelding How Ya Sammy (Woodfield Sammy – Robe Cheeky Lass, by Robe Earl) who the family has owned since he was five.

Mentioned above, Emily Flavin-Redmond won the CT80 league having collected 27 points on board the five-year-old Connemara mare Galtee Honeysuckle (Kinvara Boy – Mona Incha Sunshine Lady, by I Love You Melody). Senior rider Sarah Cowan placed second with another Connemara, the seven-year-old gelding Gleann Rua Storm (23).

The leading riders in the leagues were Lucy Ferris (Pony), Grace Mahon (Junior), Gearoid Bolger (Young Rider), Duncan McFadyen (Senior), Bernadette Muirhead (Amateur), Aoife Madigan (Riding Club) and Hannah McGoldrick (Newcomer). Rita Byrne was declared leading owner thanks to the efforts of Tranquil Master.

The Debbie Flavin-ridden ISH gelding Sean Blue (Zirocco Blue VDL – Annrattabeg Ice Princess, by Blackice) was named leading four-year-old, the Rebecca Scott-owned and ridden ISH mare RDM Ring Of The Night (Vivant van de Heffinck – Night Fly, by Maltstriker) took the leading five-year-old title and the ISH gelding Borris Cornet Coole (Castlefield Cornet – Miss Too Coole, by Warrenstown You 2), who is ridden for Kilkenny International by John Tilley, was crowned leading six-year-old.