THE Leinster Region of Dressage Ireland took over Redhills Stud last weekend, running a show confined to Trailblazer riders plus Preliminary and Novice horses or ponies on Saturday while those competing at Elementary level and above were catered for on Sunday.

Tara Hayes proved the rider in form on day two when she topped the scores in three classes, twice on her mother Fiona’s Ferrero K.

In the Prix St George judged by Jane Whitaker (List 2), Hayes and the 15-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding scored 71.03% (the Co Kildare rider also finished second here on Sandoro BS (68.69)) while, on 71.62, they saw off two rivals in the Intermediate I judged by Dermot Cannon (List 1). Hayes recorded the higher score in the Cannon-judged Advanced class on the nine-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare Sandora BS (68.75).

Only two combinations came before the same judge in the Intermediate II where the honours went to Sorrell Klatzko riding her home-bred ISH gelding Gladiator (69.12%), a dark brown nine-year-old by Sir Sansibar.

Cannon had a bit more work to do in the seven-strong Elementary DI56A – as did the scorers – as Rebecca Mills and her 11-year-old AES-registered mare San Tiaga and Myrian Bunter with the thoroughbred gelding Star Of Rubykan (by Arakan) both scored 68.38% with a collective mark of 61.5 apiece. At the same level, Mills and her bay daughter of San Liberty topped Whitaker’s overall marks in the DI52 (69.03).

Joint show secretary/organiser Petra Larkin was rewarded for her efforts when landing the Cannon-judged eight-runner Medium DI65 with her tall, eight-year-old Oldenburg gelding Malbec (67.81) while the same judge’s overall leaderboard in the Advanced Medium (Junior FEI Preliminary test) was narrowly topped by Nessa Toher Shannon riding her 12-year-old ISH mare Furst Fendi (66.67).

A winner also on Saturday, Finn O’Gara comprehensively claimed the honours in the Whitaker-judged Advanced Medium DI90 where he rode Karen Bennett’s 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Jinger (69.71).

Clare Fitzsimmons (List 4) only judged one class at last Saturday’s Leinster Region show at Redhills Stud but it happened to be the best supported, with 12 combinations trotting down the centre line in the Novice DI27A.

The rider who recorded the highest score (68.97%) was Finn O’Gara on board Phillipa Teggin’s Irish Draught mare Toberpatrick Peaches and Cream, a seven-year-old chesnut by Dunbeggan Grey Mist out of a Classic Vision mare.

At the same level, there were four withdrawals from the DI24A leaving 10 starters to be judged by Ivor Harper (List 4) whose overall leaderboard was topped by Samantha FitzSimons riding her own Irish Sport Horse gelding DS The Chic Magnet (68.67), a 12-year-old bay by Cruising For Chics.

Harper also assessed the nine combinations forward in the Preliminary DI8 where he awarded his highest score (70.58%) to Astrid Martini-Facio who partnered her own ISH mare Ferro Blue Belle, a nine-year-old bay by S Creevagh Ferro.

Jane Averil (List 6) judged the 10-runner Preliminary DI18 where Martini-Facio and Ferro Blue Belle (66.88%) finished second in the Category 1 division behind the overall winners, Siobhan Stapleton and her ID gelding The Peeler (68.75), a 17-year-old chesnut son of Woodland Boy out of a Diamond Clover mare.

Averil also judged the day’s six Trailblazers’ classes, awarding winning scores of over 70% to Charlotte Ferris on board the 17-year-old Holyoake Czar gelding Ahane Valiant (75.36) in the three-runner Under 12s’ Preliminary and to Jamie Monahan with the Welsh Section B gelding Saltre Imperial Commander (71.60), a 12-year-old chesnut by Saltre Ambassador, in the Preliminary.