THE last qualifying round of this year’s Berts Properties Starter Series, which is run by the Western Region of Eventing Ireland, was held on Sunday at the Claremorris Saddlery and Equestrian Centre where there was a disappointingly small entry in the age classes.

Most of the day’s winning horses had qualified for next Monday’s final at Milchem but two hadn’t, the first of whom was the Aoife McCabe-ridden Atlantic Mystery Dash, winner on his Jayne Dutson-awarded dressage score (53.5 marks) of the Derryronane Stud five-year-old class. Registered with Leisure Horse Ireland, the Ganesh Hero Z bay was bred by Lorna Daly out of her Silver Shadow mare, Shadow Dash.

Amy Grady had an expensive pole down with the home-bred Irish Draught gelding Murrisk Paudie to finish second on 52 while she also placed third, on her dressage score (47.5), with DS Another Bouncer (47.5).

Teresa Whyte doubled up when landing the Gerry Daniels Timber Harvesting and Callatra Stables’ Open class as her home-bred Irish Draught gelding Sleehaun Silver Crest (58.5), an eight-year-old grey by Beechmore Silver Crest out of Orlcon Star (by Star Kingdom), was judged winner of the day’s turn-out prize sponsored by Sea Warrior Sea Supplements.

Amy Grady was in action here too, finishing a close second on her flat work mark (58) with another home-bred Irish Draught, the Farmhill Highlander mare The Countess Of Murrisk.

Five-year-old winner Aoife McCabe with Sinead Hanley at the Western Region Starter Series held at Claremorris EC \ Sagittarian Photography

Delight

Jumping judge Sinead Hanley had to subtract four marks from half of the six starters in the Sligo Candy Boy four-year-old class including the dressage winner on 55, the Fintan McGrath-ridden Ballyj Max. They thus dropped to second behind Hannah Gordon and her Connemara mare Blackfort Delight, a daughter of Black Shadow, who completed on their first phase score (52.5).

All three starters in the Drumhowan Stud six and seven-year-old class were clear over the Charles Hanley-built 15-fence track which included an optional water fence. The winner was one of the series sponsors, Donnacha Anhold, on his ISH gelding Rushfield Ballingowan (57), a 2019 bay by Hype.

The highest dressage score of the day, 59.5, was recorded in the Milchem Equestrian Ponies class by Michelle Geraghty riding the home-bred six-year-old gelding Spot The Pebbles who competed on her flat work mark. As did Irish Horse World journalist Lesley Hunter-Nolan to finish second with her Connemara gelding Gleann Rua Robin (52), a five-year-old grey by Lough Fadda Rudi.

There was a very close result to the four-runner Treo Eile thoroughbred class where two combinations competed on their dressage score of 51, but Edel Whyte claimed the honours with Dontbegonelong (51), a non-winning six-year-old gelding by Arctic Cosmos who last ran in a point-to-point maiden in October 2023.