LAST Saturday’s Baileys Horse Feeds flexi eventing league prize-giving ceremony at The Meadows was compèred by Georgia Stubington, chairperson of the Northern Region of Eventing Ireland, and executed by Catherine Abbott.

The former had the added duty of presenting the Treo Eile-sponsored leading thoroughbred prize, which was narrowly won by Justbecool (Canford Cliffs - Centenerola, by Century City). The 10-year-old gelding is now owned by racehorse trainer Noel Hynds and his wife Fiona and is ridden by their 15-year-old daughter Ellie.

Hynds and the bay completed the series on 34 points, as did Erin McClernon with the former point-to-pointer Jumper D’Ainay, a seven-year-old French-bred gelding by Night Wish. However, on the final points-scoring day, Hynds had fared the better (seven points to six), clinching the Treo Eile prize and finishing 11th overall in the league.

Justbecool finished second once and third three times in 15 starts on the track (five in bumpers, nine over hurdles and once over fences), when trained by Ciaran Murphy for former international event rider and former racehorse trainer, Dot Love. The bay was retired from racing when pulling up on his chasing debut at Gowran Park in November 2021.

He had his first start under Eventing Ireland rules in April 2022 at Frankfort Stud where, partnered by Rachael O’Callaghan, finished second of nine, on his dressage score, in the EI90 (Amateur); he has rarely been out of the placings since then. In June 2024, O’Callaghan and Justbecool won the 13-runner EI100 (Amateur) at Rosanna.

The Co Westmeath combination rounded off their 2025 campaign when finishing a close-up third in the inaugural Treo Eile Thoroughbred EI100 3Day Challenge at the Ballindenisk international in late September, with the horse moving up to the Hynds family’s Loughbrickland yard shortly afterwards. Ellie, who will be doing her GCSEs this summer, will now start show jumping Justbecool before going eventing.

In the ribbons

Ellie wasn’t the only member of her family to be presented with a Baileys Horse Feeds league rosette and prize on Saturday. Her brother Ronan finished 14th, having amassed 28 points on Willow, an 18-year-old mare with whom he will be contesting the RDS working hunter qualifiers in May and June, having competed the grey in the starter stakes class at Dublin last August.

Ten-year-old Ronan was presented with a special prize as the youngest rider in the league while, at the other end of the age spectrum, the prize for the oldest rider was presented to the former multiple series champion Denis Currie, who this year finished seventh (46.5 points) with his 16-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Merlot.