THE Northern Region of Eventing Ireland may have to reconsider their strategy of running an event which clashes with Balmoral Show, as there was a very low entry for last Saturday’s fixture at Hazeldene Farm and that in spite of the inclusion of training and combined training classes.

The wind which had whipped across the showgrounds during the week hit Hazeldene as well, drying out the going on the cross-country track, which resulted in many withdrawals from the EI115 and EI110 classes. Steven Smith pulled all of the yard’s higher-graded horses, but he was happy to run two in the EI100 where he was rewarded with a win and a third-place finish.

Smith and stable jockey Casey Webb (who was grounded after show jumping four horses) were keen to support the event, especially considering all that Andrew Napier has done for the Region this season. However, they felt they had no option but to withdraw their higher-graded entries, stating:

“Andrew, Laura and their entire team had done an excellent job preparing another set of brilliant courses. Unfortunately, after a spring of never-ending rain, we’ve had virtually none over the past few weeks and the ground had just got very firm, despite Andrew’s best efforts watering the course.

“After consulting with our owners, we felt it was the best decision for our horses at this point in the season. Some have other runs and aims coming up, while we have international clients in this week. It was really unfortunate, as the Hazeldene team make such a mammoth effort, but none of us can control the weather.”

A clear show jumping round and a faster cross-country time resulted in Joseph Murphy landing the three-runner EI115 (Open) with the 16-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Global Orchid (53.5 penalties). The bay’s last appearance in this country came a year ago at Millstreet where his owner, the Germany-based Turkish international Kumru Say, is competing this weekend. Hannah Groves finished second on MMF Churchill (59.8).

Following withdrawals by Smith and Janie Cairns, Tuula Keary overcame a stop across the country to win the three-runner EI115 on board the 10-year-old ISH gelding Newferry Aga Kann. Following withdrawals by Smith and Webb, there were no cross-country starters out of the four entries in the EI110 (Open).

Jonny Steele, who had been in action at Balmoral during the week, landed the EI110 with Pauline Faloon’s ISH gelding Punch Lion (40.2), ahead of Kate Robinson with Ophelia Cruise (41.6). Three of the nine starters withdrew before cross-country, where Steele and the 152cm Herald III bay picked up the fewest time penalties, following one of only two clear show jumping rounds.

Cayleigh Erwin had only one rival to contend with in the EI110 (J) where, on board the 15-year-old bay gelding Murphy, she added just 3.2 cross-country time penalties to her dressage score for the win. All three starters completed in the EI110 (A) where, with a small number of time penalties in both jumping phases, Ros Morgan recorded her second win of the season on board her 13-year-old Anglo European Studbook-registered gelding, Vos Surprise.

Kennedy is double-handed

There were seven starters in the EI105 where, after dressage, Freya Kennedy topped the scoreboard with Patrick McAvoy’s home-bred Roughan Roulette and Silver Reflection MPS, who were both on 27. While the pair were clear across the country, Silver Reflection had lowered one of the coloured poles to hand the win over to his nine-year-old stable-companion.

There were few withdrawals at the lower levels. In the non-restricted EI100, one combination didn’t head out on the cross-country phase, where another retired.

The remaining nine were all clear over the fixed fences, but only Smith managed to beat the clock on the EI newcomer Ringfort Legend, who completed on his winning dressage score (22.3). Bred by Diane Harron Eakin, the six-year-old ISH gelding is by Lucarelli out of the Loch Cruise mare EMS Florence (CCI4*-S).

Also at EI100 level, there was an all-the-way win for Neil Morrison and his eight-year-old skewbald gelding Patcherson (by Road To Happiness) in the six-strong amateur class. Charlie Watson saw off two rivals to win the Junior class with her mother Louise’s nine-year-old ISH mare Toberpatrick Gentle Dove (by Financial Reward), but failed to finish in the two-runner Pony class, where Victoria Grieves claimed the win on board the AES-registered 17-year-old gelding Twister D’Euro.

Naturally enough, the O’Connors and Turleys supported this event and were rewarded by two wins for David O’Connor, on the six-year-old thoroughbred gelding Mourneview Kali (by Affinisea) in the 19-runner EI90 and, for the second time in two starts, on the eight-year-old S Creevagh Ferro mare Tullymurry Elegance in the 14-runner EI80.

Darcey Turley saw off five rivals when making it three wins from three starts, the second at EI90 (P), on her mother Sarah’s 19-year-old Welsh Section D gelding while, having had to settle for second the previous weekend, Katie McKee and her 11-year-old skewbald gelding Water Paint made it four wins from five starts in the EI90 (Amateur).