THE first qualifying round of the 2026 Berts Properties Starter Series, run by the Western Region of Eventing Ireland, was held last Sunday at Glenamaddy Equestrian Centre, where Jason Doerflinger-partnered horses filled three of the top four places in the Sligo Candy Boy four-year-old class.

All three youngsters are owned by regional chairperson Ralph Conroy, at whose Milchem Equestrian Centre Doerflinger is stable jockey. The pair struck with Milchem Margo (53 points), finished second with Milchem I Am (50.5) and placed fourth with Milchem Mirage (49) who picked up four jumping penalties.

Milchem Margo is by I Am-W out of Milchem WHS Show Time (by Ringwood Cassero), while Milchem I Am shares the same sire but is out of the Musical Pursuit mare Musical Invasion. Milchem Mirage is by Tyson out of Milchem Dreamer (by Silvano) and is thus a full-brother to Milchem Giovanni who finished fifth in his four-year-old young event horse class at Dublin last August, fourth at Burghley and was sold for €80,000 at the Goresbridge Go For Gold Sale in November.

Tommy Considine, another long-term supporter of this series, finished third with his Zangersheide gelding Kadonius (49.5), a bay son of Kassander van’t Roosakker Z out of the Fire mare Jolie-Rijke.

There were 17 starters in the class and 15 in the Derryronane Stud five-year-old qualifier, where judge Philip Scott’s winner was Scottish international event rider Becky Scott, who runs her own yard out of Milchem, with RDM Ring Of The Night.

Scott, the rider, gave her Irish Sport Horse mare two runs under Eventing Ireland rules last year. She has a lot of experience in young event horse and combined training classes to her credit and has also done a small amount of registered jumping. The Vivant van de Heffinck bay was bred in Co Tipperary by Jim Seymour out of the Maltstriker mare Night Fly who is dam of, among others, the OBOS Quality 004 gelding Night Quality (CCI4*-L).

https://foto.ifj.ie/fotoweb/archives/5006-Irish-Horse-World/Irish%20Horse%20World/2020/5%20YR%20Old%20Rebecca%20Scott%20Riding%20RDM%20Ring%20od%20the%20Night%20DSC_6125.jpeg.info#c=%2Ffotoweb%2Farchives%2F5006-Irish-Horse-World%2F%3Fq%3Drebecca%2520scott

Rebecca Scott Riding RDM Ring of the Night, five-year-old winner at the EI Western Region starter series in Glenamaddy Equestrian Center\ Sagittarian Media

Padraic Corcoran finished second with the ISH gelding Coverfield Pedro (51), who is by Zidane out of Saigon (by Navarone), dam previously of the Cicero Z van Paemel gelding Fanta M (1.55m). Another Milchem-based Scottish native, Duncan McFadyen was third with the ISH gelding The Ring Of Diamonds (48.5), a bay son of Road To Happiness, while Gabriel Freeney snagged the fourth and last qualifying ticket on Rathmorrisey Dreoilin, who incurred four jumping penalties for a total of 46.

Thoroughbreds

All three starters in the Treo Eile thoroughbred class secured a qualifying ticket with the highest score (52) being recorded by Julie Spring on one of her two rides, Free Out, an unraced six-year-old gelding by Free Eagle out of a well-bred Dansili mare who was placed once on the flat.

With one of just three clear rounds, Katie Jane Murphy won the seven-runner Gerry Daniels Timber Harvesting and Callatra Stables Open class on the eight-year-old Connemara gelding Crimlon Dylan (Menlough Owen - Holly, by Garryhinch Finn).

Three Connemaras filled the top three places on the final leaderboard in the eight-runner Milchem Equestrian ponies’ class, which was headed on 48 points by the Laura Whyte-ridden five-year-old Primrose Pumkins Pondi (Pumkins Pondi - Callow Ann, by Fairyhill Hawk). Qualifying in second and third were Rock Of Belass (42), ridden by Hannah Gordon, and VMS Jock (39, ridden by Emily Hall.

Despite four jumping penalties, Teresa Whyte claimed the honours in the three-runner six-year-old and upwards Irish Draught class on Sleehaun Silver Crest (40.5), a nine-year-old home-bred gelding by Beechmore Silver Crest out of the Star Kingdom mare Orlcon Star. Hannah Gordon picked up eight jumping penalties with Liam Lynskey’s 2022 gelding Murrisk The Bouncing Star (DS Ballagh Bouncer - Ashlawn Star, by Agherlow), who was the only starter in the four and five-year-old Irish Draught class.

The second Berts Properties starter series qualifier takes place tomorrow at Milchem Equestrian.