ATTENDEES at last weekend’s Premier Performance Dressage Ireland national winter finals were delighted to see chairman Mark Ruddock among their number and he was delighted with what he witnessed.
“I’m so proud of what the board and the vast number of volunteers delivered for our members this weekend at the stunning venue of Castle Irvine,” Ruddock informed the Irish Horse World when contacted on Monday.
“After all the eliminations by the stewards at the summer championships for incorrect tack and spurs, I’m happy to report that nobody was eliminated this time.
"The riding was super and ethically correct which was commented on by the judges and is always lovely to hear. I personally want to thank everyone for making the weekend a huge success.”
Three DI judges, viz Bernie Foley (List 1), Michael Moore (List 2A) and Jane Whitaker (List 2), were partnered respectively throughout the weekend with the same three British Dressage List 1 assessors – the FEI Level 2/3* dressage and eventing judge Richard Baldwin, Sue Petty and Clare Deithrick. In advance of the weekend, Whitaker did the times while Dressage Ireland’s office administrator Claire Ewing was chief organiser, backed up by a large team of volunteers
Most of the action took place in the iconic Walled Garden where, in the wonderful sunshine, one of the talking points was the large entry of 23 in the EFEC Elementary Category 2 championship which was just about twice as many as any other division. This was won on the combined total of 219.5 marks by Hannah Lynam riding the Hanoverian mare Dark Diamond, a 15-year-old dark bay by Donnersmarck. This combination was also crowned Eastern Region Novice Category 2 champions having seen off 11 rivals at that level.
Category 3 rider Courtney Akkari recorded a similar double with the exciting Bernabeo, her five-year-old son of Benicio who topped the Midland and Western Region Novice leaderboard on 211.875 and the DSE Equestrian Outfitters Elementary championship on 214.875.
The chesnut, who is out of a Sir Donnerhall mare, will now enjoy a bit of a break while his seven months pregnant owner/rider – and her husband Chris Akkari – await the birth of their second child.
Irish Draught winner
There were eight starters in the Category 1 Novice championship which was won by Niamh Macken on her Irish Draught gelding Diamond King Henry (203), a 10-year-old by King Alton with whom she also competes under the rules of the Association of Irish Riding Clubs as secretary of Mullingar.
By virtue of her marginally higher collective score (60.625 to 60.5), Emma Dair narrowly claimed the honours in the North Munster Region Preliminary Category 1 championship where she and her seven-year-old Cornaroya Romeo mare, Castle Ellis Esmeralda, recorded the same combined score (167.5) as Alexandra Ryan and her nine-year-old Connemara gelding Ambition.
In finishing third here on 167.25, Aoife Brady won the Treo Eile prize for the highest-placed thoroughbred at the Finals on board her 13-year-old Robin Des Champs gelding Linkenholt.
Sadhbh O’Toole enjoyed a more comfortable margin of victory in the South Munster Region Preliminary Category 2 championship with her Irish Sports Pony Dawns Sherlock (169.125), a five-year-old gelding by Lucarelli.
Grassroots riders had two championships to themselves. The winner of the six-strong Preliminary Category 1 title was Nina Hartwell who partnered her six-year-old grey gelding Greyfort Lad while Amy Steele had just one rival to beat on her way to claiming the Novice Category 1 championship with her ISH gelding Elamo New Kid In Town, a nine-year-old bay by Antaeus out of a Limmerick mare.