TWO competitors recorded doubles at the Barron Transport Dressage Ireland Youth National Championships Festival, which was held at Castle Irvine, Necarne on Wednesday and Thursday, August 12th and 13th.

While both riders competed at the NAF Northern Region Festival at the Co Fermanagh estate last month, Annie Morrow is more locally-based. She is a member of the East Antrim Branch of The Pony Club and represented Area 17 (Northern Ireland) in the dressage home international at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in May.

There, she rode her mother Kathy’s Liberty’s Benjamin, the eight-year-old part-bred Welsh gelding on whom she won the seven-strong Junior Preliminary Category 1 championship at the Youth Festival. She recorded a combined score of 180.5 on the palomino to comfortably see off Tallula Hughes on Lightning McQueen (174.5) and Pippa Dunne with Meelicks River (174.375).

Morrow doubled up with Liberty’s Benjamin in the six-runner Junior Novice Category 1 championship but here, on 202.75, their margin of victory was a lot narrower over Lucy Ferris on How Ya Sammy (202). Annabelle Dunne was third on HFS Rock Shandy (202.125), with whom she was the sole starter in the Junior Novice Freestyle where she scored 68.33% on the seven-year-old skewbald gelding.

Following these Dressage Ireland championships, Morrow was due to travel over to The Pony Club UK championships at Offchurch Bury in Warwickshire to compete in both dressage and show jumping.

The other competitor to claim two titles at Castle Irvine, Necarne was Ellen Carroll.

On a score of 170, the Co Wicklow rider and her four-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Pumpkins Fancy (Lancedor LS - Cloongowla Lady, by Ard Grandpa) narrowly beat Samara Anne Mulder and Red Velvet (169.125) in the three-runner Junior Preliminary Category 2 championship. Carroll then recorded an uncontested victory in the Elementary Freestyle, where she rode the eight-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Nervada (67.88%).

Sisters’ success

Riding for their mother Heli, Co Kildare sisters Ava and Ellen Mooney won a title apiece. The former struck in the four-runner Junior Novice Category 2 championship, where she and the eight-year-old Connemara gelding Christopher Columbus (Kippure Columbus - Island Heather, by Coosheen Thyme) scored 197.625 to narrowly hold off Gwyn Holmes on Mayfly (195.75).

Ellen faced one rival less in the FEI Junior Rider championship, where she scored 223.875 on board the nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare Mariposa. Here, Cael Shanahan finished second on Santana (222.625), with Rebecca McGrath close up in third with Summersong Caledonia (220.625).

It was great to see eight riders contest the Elementary championship, where the highest combined score (196.375) was recorded by Emma Barry riding her mother Linda’s 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Hadrian C De Jeu. Here, Hollie Donnan finished second on Suzie Seagry (194.5), just ahead of Emily Grimes with Millridge Buachill Bui (194.125), a combination which, representing the Bray Branch, features among the large entry for this weekend’s Connolly’s Red Mills/Irish Pony Club eventing championships at Tattersalls Ireland.

Riding her own eight-year-old Oldenburg gelding Fabrizio in the Junior Medium championship, Ella Rose Maher scored 214.375 to comfortably hold off her sole challenger, Alex Potter on Icco (203.625). Niamh Winter recorded an uncontested victory in the FEI Pony Rider championship on her father Guy’s 18-year-old British-bred mare Ode To Shannon (244.625).

There were three starters in the FEI Young Rider championship, but only one human, as Sophia Doheny won on the 11-year-old Hanoverian gelding Slieve Bloom Don Rico (228.375), an 11-year-old son of Don Frederico, placed second with the 17-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding SJL Jackson (226.5) and finished third on the 15-year-old Oldenburg gelding Gortlintgards Toledo (225.25). The three horses are owned by Doheny’s mother Louise.

The British Dressage judges who officiated at the Youth Festival were Maria Eilberg (List 1), Debbie Lush (List 1) and Moira Richardson (List 2).