TODAY, the South Munster Region of Dressage Ireland is hosting the inaugural Inter Regional Final at Ballindenisk while, as recently as Easter Monday, they had a busy day at Maryville Stables where they held their winter championship show and the last Inter Regional qualifier.

The fixture didn’t start on the best note for the organisers when one of their scheduled judges couldn’t travel because of transport problems (own car, not protestors) but, with two hours’ notice, in stepped Joan Ahern (List 2) who joined Paula Geiger (List 3) and Elena Satalkina on the judges’ panel.

Mother Nature tested the organisers throughout the day but they still got through the programme, crowning the region’s winter champions (the highest-placed South Munster rider and horse in each designated class) as they did so. Fortunately, the championship classes doubled up as inter regional final qualifiers.

Satalkina judged the three Trailblazer championship classes where her highest scores were recorded by the title winners Rebecca Fleming on Bonnie Blue (70.56% in the Mini class), Lily McLaughlin on Camarnaint Rambler (75.8, Under 12) and Amy Hearne on Brandon Zimbabwe (75.8, Junior Preliminary). Her winner of the Intro championship was Amy Kennedy riding Tall Tales (70.24).

Regional title

Satalkina also judged the show’s Novice championship (DI 21) where she awarded her highest score (69.66) to Emma Dair who thus claimed the regional title on board Castle Ellis Esmeralda, her eight-year-old grey mare by the Irish Draught stallion Cornaroya Romeo.

Eight combinations came before Geiger in the Preliminary championship (DI8) where her overall leaderboard was topped on 74.42 by the title-winning Stephanie Cunningham with her five-year-old bay mare Ballymacadam BFM Lily.

Despite five withdrawals, a good-sized field of seven appeared before Geiger in the Elementary championship (DI51). Here, Caroline Marwood claimed the regional title on the overall winning score of 71.11 with Hannah Rose’s 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Investigator P (Diamont de Semilly – Pinot Rosso, by Voltaire).

South Munster chairperson Ana Hughes claimed the regional Medium title when recording an uncontested win on 59.84 in the Ahern-judged DI65 riding her 17-year-old ISH gelding Sligo Dark Knight (Lancelot – Doonaveeragh Souverin, by Aldatus Z).

Topping the leaderboard on 72.21 in the Ahern-judged five-runner Advanced Medium championship/Inter Regional qualifier (DI90) was this parish’s Rachel Dowley with her eight-year-old For Romance-sired GFL Nava. Here, Cliona Ni Liathain claimed the regional title with her 13-year-old ISH mare MJI Lady Alceis (Antaeus – Thistledown, by Island Blaze).

On 65%, Bernie Newham saw off her sole rival to be crowned Advanced champion with her 12-year-old Lusitano gelding Jejum AR (Jacare II – Ruela, by Estoiro). As it was through no fault of her own that Sue Smallman had to compete hors concours in the Inter II, it was decided by the South Munster committee that she be declared regional champion at this level with her 15-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Gloriant H (Uphill – Adilia H, by Rousseau).

As they were both entered for the Eventing Ireland South Leinster Region one-day event at Lisgarvan House last Sunday, Cillian Creedon and Alice Copithorne warmed-up for that fixture by taking on another on in the FEI 4* Test at Maryville Stables.

Here, Creedon came out on top riding the ISH gelding Kilybeg Spirit (59.17), with Copithorne having to settle for second on Fort Arthur Little Dolly (58.33), while he also recorded an uncontested win in the FEI 3* test with the 10-year-old Kilybeg Spirit (Spirit House – Kilybeg Glory, by Chippison). However, Creedon didn’t travel to Lisgarvan House where Copithorne and Fort Arthur Little Dolly won the 10-runner EI120.