THE penultimate leg of the Leinster Dressage 2025 league was held last Sunday at CoilÓg where the judging duties were split between Vida Tansey (List 1), Bernie Webb (3a), Lynne Cassidy (3), Lindsey Ilona Brady (4) and Lisa O’Brien (6).

Among those riders who recorded doubles, Sonya McCormack did so with Annmarie Walsh’s Irish Sport Horse gelding Oakfield Jappeloup who scored 70% in the Cassidy-judged Preliminary DI18 and 73.45 in the Brady-assessed Novice DI21. In both instances, the Somerton Stud-based rider also finished second, on 68.13 and 70.86 respectively, with her own Oldenburg mare Sosha Jakama, a black daughter of Taurus.

“Annmarie competes this horse herself on occasion and also likes showing him as a hunter; he’s a true all-rounder,” said McCormack of the six-year-old Rebel Mountain grey who was bred in Co Wicklow by Margaret McMullin out of the Why Me mare Olivia Beech. “I was delighted with my own mare. She’s just a four-year-old who I got in August, not long after she was backed and broken and this was her fourth show.

“It was lovely getting her out to a new venue and I was delighted, and agreed, with the lovely comments from the judges which were so encouraging. Dressage is struggling and I think we need more positive comments from the judges to keep riders involved. This was a very well-run show with a lovely atmosphere.”

McCormack’s 17-year-old daughter Laragh Byrne placed third overall (69.31) in the Novice DI21 and, on 71.92, topped Brady’s overall leaderboard in the Preliminary DI8 with Tania Whittle’s AJM The Quiet Man who she was competing for the first time. Previously campaigned by his owner, the eight-year-old Irish Draught gelding by Lionwood Kinsales Lad was bred in Co Laois by Aidan and Jackie Mortimer out of the Diamond Clover mare Moyanna Marigold.

Throughout the day, there were quite a number of withdrawals and this trend resulted in just four starters in the DI15 in the short arena judged by Lisa O’Brien. Here, Louise Daly claimed the overall spoils with her own traditionally home-bred ISH gelding Clonross Rebel Heart (74.11), an eight-year-old bay by Clonross Basilo out of the unraced thoroughbred mare Clonross La Isla Bonita (by Heron Island).

Shirley Mullins posted the highest overall score in both Medium classes with her Irish Draught mare Gortfree Rebel. In the Webb-judged DI65, Mullins and the Gortfree Hero 12-year-old saw off their three rivals on 64.84 while they faced only one combination in the DI77 where Tansey awarded them a score of 63.

Grand Prix

Three starters appeared before Tansey in the Grand Prix which Jenny Heffernan won with her Dutch Warmblood gelding De Keizer KN (64.78), a 15-year-old Vivaldi bay. The Redhills Stud-based rider initiated her brace in the Cassidy-judged, six-runner Elementary EI55 where she came out on top with the home-bred ISH gelding Lyra Solovey (67.68).

In the Elementary DI52, which was also judged by Cassidy, Heffernan and her six-year-old Feinrich bay were well off the pace set by Hannah Fielding riding her Hanoverian mare DWS Firelight, a seven-year-old Fidertanz bay. Cassidy’s overall winner of the Novice DI24A was Aimee Conroy riding the 14-year-old Templebready Fear Bui gelding Templebready Wise Guy (68.17).

At Advanced Medium level, Webb’s winner of the three-runner DI90 on 67.21 was Petra Larkin with her Oldenburg gelding Malbec, an eight-year-old black son of Morricone. Second there on 61.03, Helen Dunne and her Württemberg gelding Felino, a 15-year-old bay by Fidertanz, topped the scores in the FEI Junior team test where six combinations appeared before Tansey.

Before the same judge, Tara Hayes recorded an uncontested victory in the Prix St George with her mother Fiona’s Dutch Warmblood gelding Ferrero K (71.18) before partnering the 15-year-old son of Apache to victory in the three-runner Intermediate I where they scored 72.65.

There was an uncontested double in the Para Grade 1 Grand Prix for Heather Lemmon with her 14-year-old roan mare Ladychapel Narnia (66.88 in A and 69.38 in B). The only pairing to perform the FEI pony rider team test in front of Webb was Olivia Linnane with her mother Isobell’s Dutch Warmblood gelding Don Dimaro van het Gildelande (66.14), a nine-year-old by Don Cremello du Bois.

Juniors

Two riders recorded doubles in the dedicated Junior section where the highest score (69.46) was awarded by Webb in the three-runner Elementary DI55 to Caitlin Woods and the unregistered Greygrove Delight, a combination who saw off their sole rivals to win the Cassidy-assessed DI52 on 66.81.

It has been a busy year for Woods and her father Michael’s six-year-old ISH gelding as they competed throughout the eventing season, which included a trip over to Scone Palace in August, and also qualified through the Young Eventhorse Series for the Junior/Young Rider event horse championship at the Dublin Horse Show. By Shannondale Sarco St Ghyvan Z, Greygrove Delight was bred in Co Meath by Thomas Ryan out of the traditionally-bred Loughehoe Guy mare Great Delight.

Ella Kidd notched up a brace at Novice level with her father Niall’s ISH gelding Sandyhill Aladdin, partnering the six-year-old Sandro Boy bay to victory in the three-runner, Brady-judged DI21 (67.41) before recording an uncontested victory in the Cassidy-judged DI24A (66).

Lisa O’Brien judged all five Trailblazer classes, awarding her highest score (72.94) in the Over 10 walk/trot test to Amber Jones-Anderson on board the 14-year-old piebald mare Bryanmore Amber.