TWO former racehorses were on the mark at EI100 level last Saturday at Hazeldene where Andrew and Laura Napier hosted an Eventing Ireland Northern Region one-day event for the second week running.

Despite the addition of six cross-country time penalties, Co Westmeath’s Rachel O’Callaghan recorded an all-the-way win in the 16-runner amateur class on board the seven-year-old Vadamos gelding Gervada (33.3) who she has entered in the CCI1*-Intro at Millstreet.

A winning dressage score also helped Jennifer Gilchrist secure victory in the Junior class as her father Daniel’s eight-year-old Mahler mare Millstream Mahler had a fence down show jumping for a total of 27.5.

Maya Constable finished second on her flat work mark in that class with Urneypark Big Cat (29.3) and similarly finished runner-up in the Pony class on Rockon Pedro (26.8) behind the all-the-way winners, Susan O’Brien and Ballinagore Aaron whose total of 26.4 included 0.4 of a cross-country time penalty.

At EI90 level, Ellie Hynds on PSH Let’s Tango (18.8) and Holly Wray riding Our Springhill Hot Toddy (19) posted the only sub-20 penalty scores in the non-restricted class and, while they held off their 14 rivals, the pair switched positions following the cross-country phase where they both picked up time penalties. Wray was the faster to claim the win on a total of 24.2 while the less experienced Hynds had to settle for second (31.2).

Two skewbalds finished first and second in the 11-runner amateur class. Kaiti McCann, who was two seconds over the time across the country, claimed the honours for the third time this season on the 16-year-old mare Boyher Cookies N Creme (20.8) while Katie McKee’s total of 23.6 included 1.6 cross-country time penalties on the 10-year-old gelding Water Paint.

Third win

Charlie Weston maintained her good run of form in the five-runner Pony class where, despite the addition of two time penalties on the final leg, she also recorded her third win of the campaign with her grandfather Mervyn Gibson’s Connemara mare Leamore Girl (25), an eight-year-old dun by Classiebawn Hughs Promise.

Two thoroughbreds topped the final leaderboard on their dressage scores in the 15-runner EI80. The win went the way of the unraced Mourneview Kali (27), a five-year-old Affinisea bay who was having her third start under owner David O’Connor who thus brought up a double. Holly Rice finished second on board the non-winning but well-tried nine-year-old Captain Gerrard mare Supreme Dream (28.8).

Once the event finished on Saturday, the Napiers opened up the full cross-country course for a Go-As-You Please but, if it pleases you to go, you better be quick as it closes tomorrow at 5pm.

In advance of the Eventing Ireland Northern Region season resuming at The Clare on Saturday, July 5th, Jim and Bronagh Stevenson are hosting a two-phase event (show jumping and cross-country) a week earlier at Tullylish. It will be a busy few weeks for the Co Armagh venue where the first leg of the Young Eventhorse Series takes place on Tuesday, June 3rd, followed by the first of the Dublin Horse Show Connemara and Irish Draught qualifiers on Saturday, June 7th.