JUDITH Wurmel recorded a second successive double with her Irish Sport Horse mare Dreamhill Doria at the recent Dressage Ireland North Munster Region show in Clonshire, these wins coming on the back of their performances at Clifden the previous weekend.

Wurmel topped the scores of Paula Geiger (List 3) in the six-runner Preliminary DI6 (74.23%) and the seven-strong Novice DI21 (71.03) on the eight-year-old who she purchased roughly 14 months ago from Fran Kastner. The latter had competed the chesnut in a couple of HSI development classes in 2022.

A daughter of Ballineen It’s William, Dreamhill Doria was bred in Co Galway by Kastner’s mother Elizabeth out of Dreamhill Donna (by Huntingfield Rebel) who, in turn, was out of a mare by Da Vinci.

“She’s just so beautiful and I love her to bits!” revealed Wurmel, who was born in Germany but has lived in Ireland for the past 40 years. “I was thrilled with her at Clonshire. I think she has the ability to move right up the levels and I’ll learn with her. I really need to get an instructor as I don’t have one at present and have the competition bug!

“I keep her with Sean O’Connell at Ower Equestrian and he does a superb job,” continued the owner, who is a lecturer in chemistry at the Atlantic Technological University. “I would like to thank by husband, and groom, Paul Brennan who is extremely supportive. I used to compete the Connemara Castle Titan but I don’t have time to do both. I’d never sell him, but I’d love someone to take him on.”

Meabh Hennessy took a day off judging to record the highest score (68.08) in the four-runner Preliminary DI8 on her ISH gelding Cruaghs Colly Wobbles. “He’s a seven-year-old by Grafenstoltz out of a Crosstown Dancer mare (Cruaghs Giddy Up), which really attracted me to him,” commented the owner/rider of the Andrew Thornton-bred bay.

“I bought him last September so we are a new partnership, but I’m very excited about him,” added Hennessy.

“We have a friend in Germany who loved the breeding so much that she insisted we buy him before even viewing him.”

https://foto.ifj.ie/fotoweb/archives/5006-Irish-Horse-World/Irish%20Horse%20World/Karen%20Burke.jpg.info#c=%2Ffotoweb%2Farchives%2F5006-Irish-Horse-World%2F%3Fq%3Dkaren%2520burke

Karen Burke riding The Handsome Stranger, winners of their novice section at Clonshire \ Justin Black Sport Horse Images

There were seven starters in the Preliminary DI5A in the short arena where Geiger awarded her highest score (71.07) to Saibh Prendergast riding the ISH mare Sunny Girl, an 18-year-old grey by Wings of Justice.

Bethany Mackey faced just one rival on her way to a cross-Grade double in front of that same judge with the nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare Memilia (Hennessy - Emilia, by Zambuka). The pair scored an uncontested 71.21 in the Novice DI27A and 70.42 in the duel for honours in the Elementary DI52.

In the Elementary DI51, six combinations appeared before Vida Tansey (List 1), whose overall leaderboard was headed by Ana Hughes with her two rides. The South Munster chair scored 69.81 on her 13-year-old bay gelding Ballycahane Billy and 66.67 with her ISH gelding Sligo Dark Knight, a 17-year-old bay son of Lancelot.

Tansey, who judged the remaining Graded classes, wasn’t overfaced by numbers. Cliona Ni Liathain saw off just one rival when winning both Advanced Mediums on MJI Lady Alceis, while there were uncontested victories for Sue Smallman and Gloriant H (Inter II), Laragh O’Grady with Mullentine Emerald Wolfe Tone (Grand Prix) and Lucy Hope Ryan on Diamand Anfrody (FEI pony rider team test).

In the Para section, Kate Kerr Horan comfortably saw off her sole rival in the Grade III Grand Prix B when scoring 68% on Lykkebo’s Don Akino, but there were no opponents for Ally Gabbett with Dunguarie Mick (Grade II Novice A) and Rosemary Gaffney with Norabel (Grade IV Grand Prix A).

Following two blank days last weekend, Dressage Ireland action is due to resume today at Portmore Equestrian Centre (Northern Region), Sika Equestrian (South East) and Ballindenisk Equestrian (South Munster).

The Midlands and Western Region return to Annaharvey Farm for their show tomorrow, while the Leinster Region are holding their first show of 2026 at CoilÓg EC, where there will be judges’ training with Vida Tansey for Lists 6 to 3A.