“I WAS happy to be back at Glandoran after so many years,” said Ian Cassells last Sunday, after he won the 20-runner EI110 at the venue with Tom McCarthy’s MGH Rioja. “The courses were nice, if a little bit twisty and, though the ground was firm, the team did a great job considering the weather recently,” he continued.

“I only picked up the reins on MGH Rioja recently. I normally teach Zara McCarthy on him, but she’s away at Bicton [where she finished 10th in the CCIJ2*-L riding Romans Red Affair] and she’s done a really good job of producing him. He’s a big, strong horse, but he’s very talented,” said Cassells of the grey eight-year-old by the Holsteiner sire Lewine.

Second-placed

Cassells won by a considerable margin on a final score of 30.8, almost seven marks ahead of second-placed Georgina Petit and the Traditional Irish Horse BCL Belletastic. Dressage leaders Michael McNally and Kratos CAL M2S finished third after adding four faults show jumping and 10.8 cross-country time penalties to their first phase mark of 22.8. No one in this class beat the clock across the country, but closest to the time were sixth-placed Martha Dolan and Quidams Liquidgold Cruiser, who added only 1.2 penalties to their dressage score of 40.8.

In the Overlander EI110 (Open) Eliza Jane Queally and the 15-year-old Fernhill Inspector recorded their second win at this level, rising from second after dressage by virtue of a speedy cross-country round. First phase leaders Daniel Alderson and Elegant Philly had to settle for second with a slower round, while the other three runners in the class all incurred cross-country jumping penalties.

Watson a winner

Cassells also finished fourth and fifth in the Foran Equine EI100 riding Springrove Rockstar and MSJ Flame Racer, where the win went to Sam Watson and his wife Hannah’s Ardeo Ardnacashel. They finished on a score of 25.7, almost five marks ahead of runners-up Heidi Hamilton and Anne Kirwan’s Traditional Irish Horse Mount Atlas. Luca Bortolamei finished third with Carol Gee’s six-year-old Lisa Bella della Malaspina, who jumped double clear to finish on 31.5.

It was Sarah Ennis’s turn to have two rides in the top six in the EI90 class, where she was fourth and sixth with Fenyas Allure and Stellor Vivant Gold respectively, each of whom jumped double clear. The same can be said for the winners, Jonty Purcell and the traditionally-bred six-year-old FHS Travolta, who finished on their dressage score of 29. Abbey Ferris and Merrywell Dignified Lady finished second, half a mark in arrears, while Chloe Lalloo took third with the Connemara Kildromin Mentor.

There were five runners in the Tony Walker Photography EI80, where Sophie Orr topped the leaderboard riding Aughnasilla Pat, despite rolling a pole in the show jumping phase.