THE Foy family hosted the Midland and Western Region’s third show of the year last Sunday at their Drummindoo Stud, where three combinations started in the Novice DI27A which got the action under way in the centre’s recently installed 64x30m arena.

The sole judge at this low-key fixture was Helen Nolan (List 5), who awarded her highest score (70%) in that opener to Sinead McGrath and the five-year-old home-bred Traditional Irish Sport Horse gelding Ballyj Max (Black Hero - Memories Of Emly, by Pilsudski). Caroline Devine recorded the highest score (69.03) in the second Novice class (the DI23) with the 16-year-old black mare Rockwell Bonnie (69.03).

Two Connemara geldings topped the marks in the Preliminary classes. The day’s largest field of seven contested the DI18 where 66.88 was recorded by Abigail Barker on the 13-year-old DI-unregistered Ashfield Mikado (Gantry Blazer - Ashfield Kate, by Ormond Oliver). On the day’s top score of 74.29, Lilly Berry McLaughlin guided the year-older General Sinatra (General Humbert - Tully Marie, by Moy Johnny’s Pride) to victory in the five-runner Preliminary DI5A.

On board the diminutive seven-year-old chesnut gelding Mighty Tim (71.76), Rachel Nee saw off five rivals in the DI Intro B, while a score of 68 saw Emily Duffy claim the match for honours in the Trailblazers’ Preliminary class with Mr G.

There are no Dressage Ireland-affiliated shows scheduled for this weekend but three are listed for next Saturday, February 21st - at Portmore Equestrian Centre (Northern Region), Sika Equestrian (South East) and Ballindenisk (South Munster) - and two for the following day at CoilÓg EC (Leinster) and Annaharvey Farm (Midland and Western).