NUTRISCIENCE Equine sponsored the three amateur championships at Barnadown last weekend when the EI100 class attracted the largest starting field of 16, all of whom completed bar one withdrawal before cross-country.

There were no problems in jumping over the 16-fence track and only one combination failed to beat the clock. However, clear rounds had been a lot less numerous in the morning’s show jumping phase where a pole down proved very expensive for the dressage leaders, Aimee Webb and her traditionally-bred Irish Sport Horse mare Imperial Monarch.

As they dropped to second on a total of 33.8, Susanna Boxwell and her Irish Draught gelding JMHillfield Double Diamond moved up a place to fill the vacant top spot on their flat work mark of 31.9, which they had been awarded the previous day by Sarah Jane Doyle and Bridgette McCarthy. Joan Sinnott also finished on her dressage score to place third with her ISH gelding Newtown Wilson (35).

The nine-year-old JMHillfield Double Diamond, who was bred in Co Cork by James Maye, is by Rebel Mountain out of the Welcome Diamond mare Corrin Diamond. Boxwell, who works in product development, bought the grey seven years ago. She has always favoured eventing over other disciplines and, while she used to compete under Riding Club rules as a member of Carne, she has stuck to EI company since the start of the 2023 season.

Brilliant experience

“These national championships were always the aim for this year and it was a brilliant experience,” said Co Wexford-based Boxwell who was accompanied to Barnadown both days by her husband Dean Farrell and her father Sam Boxwell. “This is definitely my biggest win to date and I’d like to go up to 1.10m next season.”

Marlieze Krielaart, who moved from The Netherlands to Ireland in January 2020, recorded an all-the-way success in the EI90 championship when completing on her winning dressage score with her traditionally-bred ISH mare Lucy Cruising (31.8).

Helen Sawey Quinn, who was a second over the time across the country, placed second on her seven-year-old traditionally-bred ISH gelding Conor (33). Katie McKee recorded a double clear within the time to finish third for the second year running on her EI90 amateur league winner, the 10-year-old skewbald gelding Water Paint (33.5) with whom she was fourth in 2023.

There were only eight starters last weekend, all of whom completed, compared to 20 last September and 19 a year previously.

A seven-year-old mare by the Cruising clone Cruising Arish, Lucy Cruising was bred in Co Kilkenny by Sarah Kehoe out of the Shenandoah Prince Holly mare Paddy Caught Me. Krielaart purchased the grey as an unbroken three-year-old and competed her with Dressage Ireland as a four and five-year-old, amassing 146 points.

First love

“I do a little bit of show jumping with the mare, but that is just for experience as my first love is eventing,” revealed the owner-rider who is training to be a Specialist Registrar in emergency medicine. As she moves between hospitals, she keeps Lucy Cruising on livery. Her partner, veterinary surgeon Michael Griffin, is re-training an ex-racehorse which hopefully will also event.

“I thought it was a very well-organised and enjoyable event,” commented Krielaart of the national championships. “The going on the cross-country was really good and the course struck the right balance, being a championship track without asking too many questions.”

On 62 points, Krielaart and Lucy Cruising finished second in the season’s Traditional Irish Horse league, sandwiched between two Northern Region representatives, viz Maya Constable and Urneypark Big Cat (64) and Jonny Steele with Somerville Springheeled (58).

Two other Northern Region members, Nichola Wray on Dylan aka Springhill Showman (36.4) and Ciarrai Rice on her ISH mare Lady J (44.6) finished first and second in the EI110 amateur championship. The only other starter was Fiona Cosgrave who placed third with her ISH gelding Deniro de Semilly (47.5). The winners were slightly over the time across the country while the other pair had problems in the show jumping ring.

Second of six in 2023, Wray and her nine-year-old bay by Lislap Benedict saw off five rivals to win this class last September. On 64.8 points, they finished runner-up in the EI110 Amateur league behind the fellow Northern Region pairing of Britt Megahey and R Showman (66.8).