THE Northern Region of Eventing Ireland rounded off their 2025 campaign with a second visit to Ian and Alison Wilson’s Vesey Lodge where, on Saturday, things were much like they had been in early May, just about perfect.

The weather may not have played ball in the morning but it’s hard to dampen people’s enthusiasm for the sport when the ground, hedges and fences (some new since May) are so well presented. Most of the credit here is due to farm manager Noel Fitzpatrick, his wife Noreen and daughter Holly whose efforts extended into the neighbouring land of Eddie and Jan Martin.

As ever, Aaron McCusker’s show jumping tracks in the sand arena here caused their usual amount of problems but there wasn’t too much grief over what were the final cross-country tracks designed by Adam Stevenson who, after 15 seasons as regional course designer, is moving on to pastures new.

The Northern Region has to be thanked by the eventing community for all it did to keep the sport going in the spring season and, while everyone played their part, special mention must be made of regional co-ordinator Dora Beacom who had to deal with huge entries, waiting lists, divides and at times large numbers of withdrawals in the days leading up to an event.

Co Meath’s Sarah Ennis travelled north on a regular basis. “I love the Northern Region events as they are so well-organised and everyone is so helpful and friendly,” said Ennis who will be making a lengthier, more expensive journey over to Blenheim Castle this coming week for the Agria European Eventing Championships with Dourough Ferro Class Act.

Ennis has been enjoying a great run of late with younger members of her string and, on Saturday, won two classes and finished third and fourth on her other two rides.

First success

Her first success came in the 13-runner EI110 where, adding time penalties in both jumping phases to her Rosie Gomes-awarded dressage score (19.5), she recorded a first win of the season on her Dutch Warmblood gelding Nycarlos H (29.5), a seven-year-old son of Tangelo van du Zuuthoeve. Steven Smith, who finished second on Annaghmore Cornoko (31), led after the first phase with You Neek (15) who dropped out of the reckoning having had a problem across the country.

There were 21 starters in the Coreen Abernethy-judged EI100 where Ennis finished first, on her dressage score with another KWPN-registered gelding Ordonnay, a six-year-old by Jardonnay VDL who was winning for the fifth time in nine starts; finished third, also on her flat work mark, with the consistent traditionally-bred five-year-old Alabama Cruise (29.3); and fourth on the five-year-old ISH mare Fenyas Email (31) who had a fence down show jumping. Laoise O’Farrell moved up into second, on her dressage score, with the eight-year-old ISH mare Miss Mojito (29.3).

There were three eliminations across the country in this class, all for omitting part B of fence nine.

Steven Smith, who also had four rides on Saturday, landed the eight-runner EI110 (Open) on Gail McNab’s ISH gelding Greenhall Gold Dust who scored in similar company at The Clare in July. Smith led throughout on the tall Dignified van’t Zorgvliet who, although faster across the country than any of his rivals, was two seconds over the time for a completion score of 25.8.

Second in the CCI2*-S at Lisgarvan last month, and fourth since at Glenpatrick, Rebekah McKinstry and HVL Jackpot filled the runner-up spot here on 31.4.

There were 14 runners in the EI90. One was withdrawn after dressage, one was eliminated in the show jumping ring and two suffered the same fate across the country.

Two combinations completed on their Rosie Gomes-awarded dressage scores to finish second and third. Leading throughout, Jackson Laing followed up his Glenpatrick victory with Carol Murdoch’s working hunter pony Doon Da Vinci (21.8), a seven-year-old Connemara gelding by Newgrange Lad, while Connor McClory finished second on the unraced thoroughbred Bestman Bryan (22.8).

Registered competition in the region for 2025 concluded with the 10-runner EI80 where the leaderboard was topped throughout by two Connemara geldings.

On their first EI start this season, Emily Black led following Lucinda Webb-Graham’s judging of the Shadow dun for a total of 28.5. This left the way clear for Una McMcIlimail to claim the honours with her mother Karen McCrissican’s Lusmagh Anthem and this the Downpatrick 15-year-old did, despite picking up two cross-country time penalties for a completion score of 27.3 on the 18-year-old Cloughill Island grey.