THE Northern Region of Dressage Ireland held their first Newbridge Financial Planning winter league show of 2026 last Sunday at Knockagh View, where competitors, officials and volunteers alike enjoyed the dry conditions.

The judging duties were divided between Michael Moore (List 2A) and Coreen Abernethy (List 4). The latter had also officiated the previous day at The Meadows, where there was contrasting weather for the fourth leg of the Baileys Horse Feeds flexi eventing league.

On Sunday, five riders recorded doubles including regional chair Joan Adrain, who did so in the Medium BD5 (69.33%) and the Advanced Medium/FEI Junior Preliminary test (68.5) on her nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Mathieu (Fabuleus - Charlotte, by Waldemar).

https://foto.ifj.ie/fotoweb/archives/5006-Irish-Horse-World/Irish%20Horse%20World/Eve%20Adair%20&%20Dot-5551.JPG.info#c=%2Ffotoweb%2Farchives%2F5006-Irish-Horse-World%2F%3Fq%3Deve%2520adair

Eve Adair and Dot, pictured here at Danescroft, won two elementaries at Knockagh View \ Louise O'Brien Photography

Eve Adair’s double was achieved at Elementary level where, on board Dot, a 15-year-old piebald mare by Pieter, she scored 70.69 in the DI52 and 68.28 in the BD5. Erin McCoy faced no rivals in the FEI young riders’ tests where she rode the 20-year-old KWPN-registered gelding Bjornsun (Johnson - Pardoes, by Karthago).

In the two non-restricted Preliminary classes, the overall winner was Category 1 rider Rachael Kernaghan with her 12-year-old black mare Scarborough Fair. In the DI5A, she scored 73.04, while in the BD5, she achieved a score of 72.62. Category 3 rider Jill Hobson was also on 72.62 with Guest, but Kernaghan had the higher collective mark (44.5 to 42.5).

Annie Morrow topped the scores in the two Junior classes, doing so on the eight-year-old palomino gelding Liberty’s Benjamin in the Preliminary DI5A (71.79) and on the nine-year-old grey ISH gelding Don Pablo (Orador XLII - Ekateringburg, by Creevagh Grey Rebel) in the Novice DI27A (63.45).

In the NAF-sponsored Try Dressage section, there were doubles for Lizzy Taylor on Chester and for Jackie Hanna with Blaze Temp.

The Northern Region are holding their annual awards night and fun pub quiz at Knockagh View next Friday evening, February 13th, starting at 7.30pm. Tickets for this function, which is open to members and non-members, are now on sale (£15 adults/£10 under 18s).