“IT was hot but so worth it!” was the comment of show secretary/organiser and South Munster Region chair Ana Hughes following Saturday’s final of the O’Brien’s midweek summer league at Ballindenisk.

“Riders didn’t even broach the idea of asking about jackets - not one person wore one - and I’m sure if they could have worn shorts and t-shirts they would have. There were definitely riders who left a bit redder than when they arrived.”

Hughes and her South Munster committee advised competitors in advance of the precautions to take in the conditions for themselves and their mounts and, on Saturday, kept proceedings moving along so riders could get home and not have their horses hanging around in the heat. They also helped keep the judges and volunteers hydrated all day.

“O’Brien’s Saddlery sponsored lovely prizes for the final which were appreciated by the winners,” continued Hughes. “We were delighted with the support for this league, which is always hugely popular with our members.”

Of the four graded league winners, two topped the overall leaderboards at their respective levels on Saturday.

Caroline Marwood did so in the Preliminary DI18 where Paula Geiger (List 3) awarded her a score of 72.08% following her test on Rose McCarthy’s Connemara gelding Silverhill Boy. This eight-year-old grey by Moorland Snowy River is out of the Currachmore Cashel mare Heather Aisling.

Geiger’s other winners of league classes on Saturday included Laura Hagger who recorded a comprehensive victory (76.33%) in the Novice DI24A with her 158cm Oldenburg mare Newton Devadasi. Hagger and the 10-year-old chesnut daughter of Danciano also topped Geiger’s overall scores in the non-league DI27A (73.97). The winner of the Novice league was Aine Griffin who scored 71.17 in the DI24A on Saturday with her 13-year-old Warmblood gelding Cocktail de Riverland.

Caroline Marwood and Silverhill Boy, Preliminary league winners at Ballindenisk \ Louise O'Brien

Rosemarie Ahern O’Gorman won the Medium league with the ex-racehorse Khwarizmi but, on finals day, she and her 10-year-old Algorithms gelding had to settle for second (63.94%) in the Geiger-judged Medium league class, the DI67, behind Maeve Deverell and the home-bred ISH mare Annaharvey Firefly (70.15). The Co Westmeath teenager also won the non-league Medium class, the DI65, with the 12-year-old Floriscount bay.

That latter class was judged by Vida Tansey (List 1) as was the three-runner Advanced Medium league class (the FEI Junior team test) which Deverell won on another home-bred ISH gelding Annaharvey Dunowen (67.27%). She then partnered that 12-year-old Radolin dun to top Tansey’s scores in the four-strong non-league DI90 on 69.56.

Tansey judged two other league classes, her score of 70.71% in the four-runner DI55 assuring Cecilia Foster victory in the Elementary league with her Connemara gelding Abbeyside Rory, a nine-year-old grey by Carracanada River. The busy, multi-discipline rider Evie Kennedy saw off one rival to land the Tansey-judged Advanced league class with the 22-year-old Spanish-bred gelding Cordobes XXXVI (64.29).