IT was tough being a scorer at Ballindenisk last Saturday, as the South Munster Region show offered one-off classes, O’Brien Saddlery League qualifiers and Inter Regional qualifiers. Thankfully, and contrary to the weather forecast, it was a dry and pleasant day.

“We ran classes for everyone - you name it, we had it!” enthused regional chairperson and show secretary/organiser, Ana Hughes. “It was lovely to get such positive feedback throughout the day and have a high demand for another qualifier. We are now running qualifier classes at our Greybrook West show on Sunday, March 8th and at Maryville on Easter Monday.

“As always, the Fell family had Ballindenisk in tip-top shape. All roads are leading to the Inter Regional Finals back down here in April and, most definitely, the qualifiers are adding an element of excitement and competitiveness to our shows. We can’t wait to be the host region for the Finals!”

On a personal level, Hughes was delighted with the two horses she brought to Sunday’s show, competing them both in the Category 2 section of the eight-runner Elementary Inter Regional Qualifier (DI55), judged by Jillie Rogers (List 3). Hughes finished first on her 13-year-old bay gelding Ballycahane Billy (73.04%) and third with Sligo Dark Knight (68.93).

Heather Twomey split the Hughes pair by scoring 69.82 on Boothouse Cruise, while the O’Brien Saddlery qualifier at this level, the DI55 judged by Ciara Egan (List 4), saw Rosemary Gaffney top the overall leaderboard on 68.39 with her eight-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare Norabel (Just Whimphof - White Spot, by Don Schufro).

As regards the other Inter Regional Qualifiers judged by Rogers, she awarded her highest score in the 10-strong Novice DI21 to Maria Fleming Hand on the 22-year-old dun gelding Bishopshall Joe (73.97) and, in the dual for honours in the Medium DI65, to Rosemarie Ahern O’Gorman (70.47) riding her 11-year-old thoroughbred gelding Khwarizmi (Algorithms - Silk Sails, by Ocean Crest).

Marie Hennessy (List 2) judged only one Inter Regional Qualifier and that was the Advanced Medium/FEI Junior Individual test, where Clíona Ní Liatháin saw off two rivals when scoring 66.03 on board her 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare MJI Lady Alceis (Antaeus - Thistledown, by Island Blaze).

The largest field of the day, 11, appeared in the Preliminary Inter Regional Qualifier, the DI18, before Ciara Egan whose overall winner, on 70.21, was Caroline Marwood riding Megan O’Gorman’s five-year-old dark bay Dutch Warmblood gelding Roover Ter Kwincke (Louis Ter Kwincke - La Femme Ter Kwincke, by Briar).

The remaining Inter Regional Qualifiers were judged by Betty O’Neill (List 5), whose winners were Peter O’Hara on Sabrina Barnwell’s nine-year-old skewbald mare Limited Edition (64.17 in the Mini Trailblazer Intro Test A); Clara Nyhan riding the six-year-old Connemara mare Galtee Honey (67.2 in the Under 12 Trailblazer Preliminary Test 4); and Ellie Hearne, who recorded a narrow victory on the 15-year-old Welsh gelding Brandon Zimbabwe (62.6), one of her two rides in the three-runner Junior Preliminary DI4.

O’Neill also judged two of the Trailblazer O’Brien Saddlery qualifiers, awarding Lily McLaughlin and Camarnaint Rambler her highest score of 63.2 in the Under 12s’ DI4, while Laura Coughlan was the only starter in the Junior Novice DI26 with Tullowcussane Peaches (63.79). O’Neill’s winner of the two-runner Novice DI21 qualifier was the aforementioned combination of Maria Fleming Hand and Bishopshall Joe (64.48).

Riding her 23-year-old thoroughbred gelding Candlefort King, Ruth Walsh won the Ciara Egan-judged O’Brien Saddlery Intro Qualifier, where she scored 67.14. Five combinations appeared before the same judge in the Elementary DI55 qualifier, where her winners on 68.39 were Rosemary Gaffney and Norabel who, too, were mentioned earlier in this report.

Seven combinations appeared before Marie Hennessy in the O’Briens Saddlery Preliminary DI18, where she awarded her highest score of the day (71.25) to Stephanie Cunningham and her five-year-old bay mare Ballymacadam BFM Lily. Two pairings recorded uncontested league victories in front of Hennessy, Rosemarie Ahern O’Gorman with Khwarizmi (64.53 in the DI Medium 65) and Grainne Murphy with Flamenco CCLXXXV (63.09 in the Advanced Medium/FEI Junior Individual test).