THE third leg of the Eventing Ireland Western Region’s combined training league at Milchem Equestrian Centre was held last Sunday when competitors once again enjoyed the best of the country’s weather.

Scotland’s Duncan McFadyen, who runs his own yard out of Ralph Conroy’s Tynagh venue, rode five horses on the day. Four of these were in the 23-runner CT80 where, on his Marian Slattery-awarded dressage scores, he filled the top three places with a trio of four-year-olds and is now the leading senior rider in the overall league.

McFadyen’s winner was the Irish Sport Horse gelding Womanizer My Man (27.5 penalties), a son of Womanizer owned by Niall Earls, the racehorse owner, former East Galway Master and joint Chief Executive Officer of EasyFix. Not too surprisingly, the second-placed mare, Hollypark Daisy (31), belongs to Tim MacDonagh, while finishing a point back in third was Monessa Keogh’s Irish Draught mare Jacks Bonnie (Clogheen Captain Jack - Bonnie Noreen, by Rebel Mountain).

Michelle Lucey finished fourth on board the seven-year-old ID gelding Bouncers Son, whose total of 34.25 included four show jumping penalties.

“The first two are real event types and I’ll have to talk to the owners to see where they will be going next, possibly the region’s Starter Series,” commented McFadyen. “Monessa’s mare is being targeted at the RDS Draught qualifiers and, who knows, the others might go for the Dublin performance qualifiers.

“As it is, I have working hunter horses, working hunter ponies, Irish Draughts and Connemaras to qualify for Dublin. I think that if it helps to raise the standard at the RDS, it’s a good idea to have qualifiers for the working hunter horse section, although, looking at it from a personal perspective, it means I have to spend another day on the road.”

There were 14 starters in the CT90, where just four combinations completed on their flat work scores as Ralph Conroy’s show jumping track exerted its influence.

Topping the leaderboard throughout was Jed Dillon, a member of the East Galway Branch of the Irish Pony Club and a keen follower of hounds. He was on board the 11-year-old skewbald gelding Dartans Jumping Jack Flash (27.75), whom he competes in many other disciplines.

For the third week running, Hannah McGoldrick had to settle for a placed position when second on her first phase score with Rachel Counihan’s ISH gelding Dundrum Candy Cruise (30.5), a five-year-old Sligo Candy Boy bay. The aforementioned Tim MacDonagh slotted into third on Hollybrook Phil (32.5).

Mahon is the leading junior

Having finished third in weeks one and two, Grace Mahon deserved her comprehensive win in the CT100 with Regina Hoctor’s ISH mare Ballycondon OBOS, who she has been competing under Eventing Ireland rules for the past two seasons. She now leads the Junior rider league in the series.

Mahon and the seven-year-old OBOS Quality 004 bay completed on their flat work score (23.25), as did the second and third-placed combinations of Becky Scott with the five-year-old ISH mare RDM Ring Of The Night (28.75) and Conor Dunlop with the traditionally-bred eight-year-old ISH mare Milchem Duchess (34.5).

Mahon now tops the Junior rider table in the league but, in the CT100 standings, she is in joint-second place behind Scott.

The sole starter in the CT110 was Lucy Hope Ryan, who had two fences down show jumping for a total of 45.5 penalties with the 10-year-old skewbald mare Pretty Patterns on whom she was placed four times in seven EI100 (P) starts last season.

As has been the case previously, and will continue tomorrow, this combined training league doubles up as the regional leg of the Plusvital Spring Series.