THE Plusvital Spring Series, a nationwide combined training league run in partnership with Eventing Ireland, got underway in the South Leinster Region last Sunday at CoilÓg Equestrian Centre.
An impressive January turnout of 80 combinations over five classes, from 80cm through to 115cm, made for a busy and upbeat start to the campaign while, despite a foggy and slightly frosty start to the day, the weather cleared to reveal blue skies and bright winter sunshine.
The fixture’s dressage judging duties were divided between Jane Whitaker and Mark Ruddock, who are on the List 1 panels of Dressage Ireland and British Dressage respectively.
In the 115cm class, Louise Bloomer, who featured in these pages last week, rode Martin Coen’s 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Atlantic Rockstar to victory, ahead of Lucy Latta on the British Sport Horse gelding RCA Patron Saint.
Both combinations completed on their dressage score (27.05 penalties), but Bloomer’s marginally higher collectives (31-29) gave her the edge. Nicola Ennis finished third with the thoroughbred gelding Devils Cape (29.5), who also left all the poles intact.
A son of Beach Ball, Atlantic Rockstar was bred in Co Antrim by Sam and Alex Houston. He is out of Missey Elliot, who Alex competed at the 2011 European Young Rider eventing championships at Blair Castle. The mare was initially produced on the event scene by Ross Crawford, who saddled his first winner on the track at Down Royal on Tuesday.
The 110cm class saw a polished performance from Chloe Walsh, who comprehensively claimed top spot on Enniskerry Masterpiece (25 penalties), the seven-year-old ISH gelding by Van Gogh with whom she finished third in the EI110 (Junior) national championships at Barnadown last October.
Michael O’Toole followed in second on the Dutch Warmblood gelding Obsesssion AKA Ballybeg Obsession (30.2), with Aoife Madigan and the ISH gelding Slanduff Bell XI completing the top three on their dressage score of 31.25.
The 100cm class, the largest of the day with 28 entries, reflected the strength of combinations preparing for spring events. Just 3.25 marks separated the top six, with victory going to Lexi Kilfeather and her mother Everina’s ISH mare TDS Aurelia (26.5 penalties), a six-year-old bay daughter of Tyson. Sophie Swain placed second on the ISH mare Fabia HSH (27.25), while Kirstyn Reel took third with the ISH gelding Lisdara Amour (28.5).
https://foto.ifj.ie/fotoweb/archives/5006-Irish-Horse-World/Irish%20Horse%20World/2020/026%20How%20Ya%20Sammy%20&%20Lucy%20Ferris-4013.JPG.info#c=%2Ffotoweb%2Farchives%2F5006-Irish-Horse-World%2F
How Ya Sammy and Lucy Ferris at the first CoilÓg leg of the Plusvital combined training league \ Louise O'Brien Photography
In the 90cm class, Lucy Ferris and her mother Mary’s 10-year-old Connemara gelding How Ya Sammy, who was previously partnered by the rider’s sister Abbey, produced a superb performance to win on the best score of the day, 21.5 penalties. Lucy was recently announced as Eventing Ireland’s youth ambassador for 2026.
The Connemara gelding Bruckless Elmar, who represented Ireland at the 2021 European pony eventing championships in Strzegom, Poland, finished second (22.75) under Nia Webbon, who evented the 2005 grey under Irish Pony Club rules last year as a member of the Kildare Hunt Branch. A point adrift in third came Maya Byrne and the ISH gelding Tranquil Master.
Top thoroughbred
The 80cm class, which wrapped up the day, was won by Amelia McCarthy and Stone Carter (26.5 penalties), a six-year-old thoroughbred gelding by Awtaad who, in a 12-race career, was unplaced as a two-year-old in France and as a three-year-old in Ireland.
With a costly fence down show jumping, second place was filled by Emily Flavin-Redmond and the Connemara mare Galtee Honeysuckle (28.75), winners of the Irish Pony Club/Foran Equine Junior eventing league last season for the Carlow Branch. Lisa Doyle finished third on the home-bred Ballinguilkey Cardi (30.25), a four-year-old ISH gelding by Cardento.
Reflecting on the day, Lucy Latta commented: “These combined training shows are a great initiative. It’s brilliant to get out nice and early in the season and get some education into the younger horses. All credit to Plusvital for sponsoring the series.”
Tricia Clarke from Eventing Ireland stated: “Eventing Ireland are delighted to see such a great turn-out and competitive start for our first weekend of the Plusvital Spring Series. The series is designed as a warm-up for the season ahead for established combinations, a chance to bring on young horses and as an introduction to Eventing Ireland for new combinations. It’s a pleasure to see such a variety of riders, horses and ponies out today.
“Thank you to CoilÓg and all the venues for their support and a huge thank you to Plusvital, who have bought into the concept wholeheartedly. We hope the partnership can continue for many years to come.”
The league returns to CoilÓg on Saturday, February 21st and again seven days later, while tomorrow the first of three Plusvital qualifiers at Wexford Equestrian will come under the spotlight.