SOUTH Co Dublin’s Ian Cassells gave Tyrella 3 a miss but returned to John and Hannah Corbett’s seaside venue last Saturday when he denied Clare Abbott a double by landing the EI110 with Noa W, on whom he had won the same class two weeks earlier.

Cassells rode three of the 35 starters while Abbott partnered two and, on Noa W and MT Kenobis Touch respectively, they shared the lead on 20.3 penalties following Lucinda Webb-Graham’s judging of the dressage phase. Both show jumped clear within the time but picked up a small number of cross-country time penalties which sorted them out, Cassells claiming the honours on Nuala McDonald’s seven-year-old Baltic VDL gelding Noa W (21.9) while Abbott had to settle for second with MT Kenobis (24.7).

The very consistent pairing of Alex Houston and My Atlantic Encore were clear but slightly over the time in both jumping phases to place third (26.4). Cassells beat the cross-country clock with Peak Freestyler, who completed on his first-phase score (29.8), but was a second over the time in the show jumping ring with the fifth-placed Rutland Flamenco (29.9).

Seventeen combinations appeared before Coreen Abernethy in the EI110 (Open) where she awarded her top score of 25.8 penalties to Co Kildare’s Jack O’Haire following his test on the Westphalian gelding Christopher Robin 2

O’Haire remained on that score to the end while Sofie Walshe also completed on her first-phase score with the thoroughbred gelding Kinsau (27.3). Joseph Murphy’s total of 31.9 on board My Foxhall Kit included 2.4 cross-country time penalties.

Owned by the rider’s father James O’Haire and the yard’s long-term supporter Patricia Heffernan, the 15-year-old Christopher Columbus-sired winner was previously produced by Antonia Ward who campaigned him up to CCI4*-S level. This weekend Jack and Christopher Robin 2 are competing in the CCI2*-L at Ballindenisk.

The show jumping phase was less influential at this level while between the two well-filled classes there were no eliminations or retirements over the Adam Stevenson-built cross-country track.

The course builders along with the entire Northern Region team of officials and volunteers have to be commended in running the four events at Tyrella while the landowners need to be acknowledged for the part they played in ensuring that eventing took place this spring and at one of the most special of venues for the sport.