THE winners of each of the three categories in the novice championship neatly provided the three highest scores of the class. Sonya McCormack and her five-year-old black mare Sosha Jakama, who is very much identifiable as being descended from the legendary Totilas through her sire Taurus, achieved the highest score of 72% from judge Vida Tansey to take the category 3 Inter Regional title. The category 2 section was won by Katie McKeon and Galtee Honey, on a score of 71.17%, while Judith Wurmel and Dreamhill Doria topped the category 1 equivalent on 70.5%.

Karen McKee and her Furstenball six-year-old Furstlove KPCM were well rewarded for their four-and-a-half-hour journey to Ballindenisk, when they scored a runaway win at prelim to become the overall Inter Regional Champions at that level. Their mark of 74.23%, awarded by Marian Slattery, was the only one to top 70% in the class.

McKee took to social media afterwards to say: “South Munster put on a fantastic show at Ballindenisk, which really had the wow factor. I’m enjoying every part of this journey with [KPCM Furstlove] and I can’t wait to see what comes next for us.”

Saibh Prendeville and Sunny Girl were the category 1 champions at this level, on a score of 68.65%. Ava Mooney and Christopher Columbus were the junior prelim Inter Regional Champions, when they were awarded 70.96% by judge Marie Hennessy. This combination then finished third overall in the junior novice final, which was won by Pippa Dunne and Meelicks River on a mark of 67%. Aoibhinn Schweppe and Billy Winchester finished second here and in the junior elementary final, which was won by Kate Moore and The Blue Diamond on a score of 68.89%.

Each of the winners of the trailblazer championships achieved marks of over 70%, the highest of which came in the mini section, where Vanessa Jones and Banner Seoidin scored 75.88% to take the win. Clara Nyhan and Galtee Honey topped the U12 class on 70.71%, while Amy Hearne and Brandon Zimbabwe won the junior equivalent on a mark of 73.57%.