REAPING the rewards after an overnight dash from Burgham in England, Joseph Murphy took the top honours at the much-acclaimed Barberstown Castle-supported Clonmahon event last weekend.

Delivering a perfectly-timed win for his owner and title sponsor Amanda Torrens, Murphy was one of several top international riders attending the keenly anticipated Summerhill fixture which, hosted by the McNally family, was making a welcome return to the calendar after an absence of two years.

Its resounding success was a testament to the efforts made by Michael McNally and his team, who from the outset had promised riders challenging cross-country courses over well-prepared ground. “I’ve taken every opportunity over the past few years to speak to riders and owners as to what they would like out of a competition and the feedback was very simple,” he explained.

“On the Monday before the event, British ground expert and veterinary surgeon Mark Lucey flew in to provide an analysis and gave me some great insight on how the ground responds to weather conditions and what an organiser can do to improve it.”

Creditably, McNally also attracted a clean sweep of class sponsors, all of whom contributed to an enviable prize fund of €11,500. Spearheading these was title sponsor Amanda Torrens of the nearby Barberstown Castle who, ownership aside, was making her first major contribution to the sport.

It was unfortunate that she was unable to be present on the day, but travelling home from supporting a major championship at Hickstead, she commented: “We do a lot of racing sponsorship, but as an event horse owner I felt it important to support Michael in this venture, and of course I’m always happy to support anything my horses are involved in.”

The plaudits from the riders came thick and fast, with Esib Power summing up by saying: “They left absolutely no stone unturned. The courses in all the classes were beautifully built and presented and at a level that is badly needed in this country. That’s why I go to Britain so often, but if there were more like this here in Ireland, then riders and horses could be properly prepared when they compete internationally.”

This last comment will have been particularly fitting for the competing junior and young rider teams who were making their final runs before travelling to the European championships in Poland.

Sponsor/owner win

There was a perfect ending to the feature class when, having led from flag fall, Joseph Murphy and Barberstown Castle Rehy landed the EI115 (O) for owner and title sponsor Amanda Torrens. As one of just three of the 28 runners to keep their dressage score intact, the Co Down-based rider was delighted with the outcome.

“This was always the plan for this horse, but I even surprised myself that I pulled it off,” he said afterwards. “This seems to be a lucky event for me as I won the equivalent class when it was last run two years ago. It’s a great venue and overall they have got it very right - it sets a high bar for this country.”

The winner, the 14-year-old son of Ars Vivendi, will now step back up to four-star with Lisgarvan as the immediate aim.

Chasing all the way and completing just 0.8 of a time-penalty adrift, the runner-up spot fell to the consistent pairing of John Tilley and License To Cooley. This was a good result for the Co Kilkenny-based duo, while in third place Cathal Daniels has wasted no time in renewing his former partnership with Dr Sarah Hughes’ Shannondale Mari.

Just two combinations collected penalties across the country, so when the maths were done, time faults and show jumping errors decided the final order. All completed.