THE final of the 2025 Berts Properties Starter Series, which is run by the enthusiastic and hard-working committee of the Western Region of Eventing Ireland, was held on Easter Monday at the Milchem Equestrian Centre of regional Chairman Ralph Conroy who wore a few other hats on the day.

One was as course designer, a job which was frustrated by the downpours which hit the Tynagh venue over the preceding few days. However, Conroy and his team produced a true performance track with a lot of questions, starting over eight show jumping fences followed by 12 or 14 cross-country obstacles. All were beautifully presented with lots of flowers and filling.

The flatwork phase was judged by Co Kilkenny-based British international event rider Nicky Roncoroni, who is on the selection panel of the Goresbridge Go For Gold Sale, while Horse Sport Ireland Level 3 coach Comdt John Ledingham assessed all forward in the performance phase. Taking an interest in both, in dry and sometimes sunny weather conditions, was Alan Briscoe who represented the title sponsor.

Also on hand as a sponsor was Padraig Howley who took particular interest in the Sligo Candy Boy four-year-old final which was won by the Conroy-owned and bred Irish Sport Horse gelding Milchem Giovanni.

Milchem-based Jason Doerflinger won the Ardeo Sport Horses award for recording the day’s highest performance score (67 marks) on the Tyson chesnut who completed on a total of 174.5. Co Westmeath’s Neva McNamara, who had spent the previous Thursday with her children at the Irish Pony Society Spring Show in Mullingar, finished second on her daughter of Quincy Mr B, Berta (171), who she bred out of the Watermill Swatch mare September Song.

Another Milchem-based rider, Scottish international event rider Becky Scott, took third with her own Vivant van de Heffinck mare RDM Ring Of The Night (167.7).

Top horse

As Conroy had enough roles to fill, we had Doerflinger tell us about Milchem Giovanni who is out of the Silvano mare Milchem Dreamer. She is dam previously of the 2017 Tyson mare Milchem Melody/Sing To Me Cooley, who is eventing in the United States with Tim Bourke, and the 2018 Goodluck VDL gelding Milchem Good Luck who was campaigned in Britain last year by William Fox-Pitt.

“He was very good throughout the series placing fifth, first and third in the three qualifiers he contested,” said Doerflinger. “He’ll have a short break now and then the plan is to hopefully prepare him for the Young Eventhorse Series/RDS qualifiers.

"We’ll take it from there, producing him along slowly as we think he has all the potential to be a top horse and follow in his siblings’ footsteps.”

Home-bred

Conroy sponsored the Milchem Equestrian Centre five and six-year-old pony class which was won by the Ballinasloe sisters Michelle and Laura Geraghty, rider and owner/breeder respectively of Spot The Pebbles (171.6 marks).

Michelle Geraghty riding Spot the Pebbles, winner of the Ponies class at the EI Western Region Stater Series Final at Milchem \ Aisling Deverell

Another Milchem rider, Oisin McDonagh, finished second with Rose Dempsey’s home-bred five-year-old Greenvale Draco gelding Mr Draco (165.8) ahead of Liam Lynskey’s home-bred DS Hans Off (160.9). That Hans gelding was partnered by Caroline Devine who was presented with the day’s leading rider award by Holly Apnew of sponsor H.A. Clipping Services.

“Michelle and I do a good bit of buying and selling but I like to breed one foal a year,” said Laura Geraghty who works with the HSE. “This fellow has no recorded pedigree but is by a son of one of Ralph’s good ponies who stands with Dan Lynch in Kiltormer. His dam was a 12.2hh Grade A show jumper who has bred two foals by the same sire, one a seven-year-old gelding who’s 16hh and is jumping in England and the other a five-year-old 13.2hh mare.

“This fellow is on the market but we’re aiming him at the Dublin six and seven-year-old qualifiers where he will be ridden by James Cleary (a nephew of leading Flat jockey and show horse producer/rider Rory Cleary).

“Michelle, who’s a guard working in Dublin, was fifth on her own Rooska Finn, a six-year-old I Love You Melody gelding who she has qualified for the Connemara working hunters at Balmoral. She’ll then do the Dublin qualifiers and hopes to do the Clifden High Performance championship with him.”