TARA Oliver returned to Dressage Ireland company on Saturday at Garranemore Equestrian where she recorded four wins from five rides at this North Munster Region fixture.

Oliver partnered three horses but performed just the one test on her Hanoverian gelding Furst Romance, a 14-year-old son of Furst Romancier with whom she recorded an uncontested victory on 67.39% in the Grand Prix.

This was judged by Donie McNamara (List 1) as was the Intermediate 1 where Oliver, the only starter, scored 66.62% on Senators Rhonaldo. Earlier, she and that Oldenburg gelding, an 11-year-old Rhondeo bay, posted an uncontested 66.91 in the Prix St George judged by Marie Hennessy (List 2).

Dublin native Oliver had most to do at Preliminary level on the Ciara Walsh McIntyre-owned and bred Irish Sport Horse mare Tullogher Powerhouse who was making her DI debut. This Zirocco Blue VDL four-year-old is out of the Indoctro mare Tullogher Flourishing, a full-sister to Tullogher Lady Liberty (CSI5*).

Oliver and the flashy chesnut with four white legs topped the overall leaderboard (72.08%) in the nine-runner, Hennessy-judged DI18 but, on 68.27, narrowly failed to do so in the DI8 where 12 starters appeared before Elena Satalkina (List 4). Here, two combinations, Raphael Walsh on MCK Stradivarius and Brigid Neill with Mountross Hector, scored 68.46 with Walsh recording the higher collective mark (62.5 to 61.5) on the ISH gelding MCK Stradivarius, a five-year-old son of Black Hero.

“My daughter Lilly (10) suffered serious internal injuries in a fall on May 30th and, following a night in the Regional Hospital, she was transferred to the ICU in Crumlin,” revealed Oliver who spent many worrying nights in the childrens’ hospital. “While she has to have more check-ups, Lilly is on the mend and was actually riding for the first time when you called.

“I’ve kept myself busy with a bit of showing and am looking forward to Dublin,” continued the Co Limerick-based rider, producer and coach who is mother also of nine-year-old Jake. “I’m riding our own Irish Draught gelding Mayo Miley (by DS Ballagh Bouncer) in the four-year-old heavyweight hunter class after which he will be for sale.”