Tredstep Ireland CCIP2*-S \ Rachel Dowley

Cullen takes second win of the season

KITTY Cullen and Greenaun Russel, the 10-year-old Connemara gelding bred by Seamus Mulroe and owned by Lisa Donnan, emerged as the winners of the Tredstep Ireland CCIP2*-S. The combination enjoyed an excellent prep run for this occasion, when they bested their eight competitors in the EI110(P) at Tyrella 2, even after incurring four faults in the show jumping phase and, on this occasion, they were impressive to finish on their dressage score of 29.

Overnight leaders Molly Egan and Forans Daylight dropped to fourth after rolling a pole and adding 2.4 time penalties to their leading dressage score of 28.2, while the new combination of Ellen O’Neill and the unusually-bred Cadarn D’Heolan (Efusivo X (PRE) x Coednewydd Fame) finished second, again with nothing to add to their first phase mark of 31. Anna Radford and Essenar Double Dutch, a pairing who contested last year’s pony European championships at Le Mans, finished third on 31.6, while Suzie Cosgrove with Kilcoltrim Swift and Lucy Hope Ryan with Pretty Patterns each added only a pole to their first phase scores to finish fifth and sixth respectively.

Declan Cullen, who could be seen on the sidelines jumping every fence of the final round with his daughter Kitty, said of her win: “We’re hugely proud of Kitty. She’s worked very hard, she and Becky, and she did a very professional job in the show jumping, putting in a great round. We’d like to give a special mention to Lisa Donnan, who has believed in Kitty and ‘Bayj’ from day one, as well as to Heather Coyle and Terry Boone, who are part of this success.”