TWO competitors, amateur Nichola Wray and pony rider Kitty Cullen, maintained their excellent seasonal records at the Eventing Ireland Northern Region one-day in Vesey Lodge last Saturday.

Cullen made it two wins and two second place finishes from four starts when landing the four-runner EI110 (P) on Jane Hancock’s 16-year-old grey gelding who moved back up a level for the first time this season. The combination holds an entry in the CCIP2-L at Millstreet where Cullen is also listed to ride the Connemara gelding Greenaun Russel who finished fifth in Saturday’s EI100 (P).

Wray too is heading down to Millstreet, for the CCI2*-S, with Dylan AKA Springhill Showman whose total of 37.7 at Vesey Lodge included 0.4 of a show jumping time penalty. This was a third win of the campaign for the pair to go with two second-place finishes from five starts.

Both of the owner/rider’s two rivals were eliminated for falls, one in the show jumping arena and the other across the country. Wray and her nine-year-old Lislap Benedict gelding, who are the reigning EI110 (Amateur) champions, are due to start in the EI110 (Amateur) today at Hazeldene where they will face four opponents.

In Saturday’s other amateur classes, the current EI100 (Amateur) champions, Samantha Dale and Threeseas (25 penalties), had to settle for second on this occasion behind Katie McKee and her Irish Sport Horse gelding Summit (19.3). McKee and the 12-year-old Je t’Aime Flamenco bay, who was bred by candidate commentator June Burgess, were winning for the third time this season.

Having made their mark during the Baileys Horse Feeds flexi eventing series at The Meadows earlier in the year, Christine Findlay and Parklodge Over And Under continued to do so in EI-affiliated company.

Findlay and her 10-year-old British Sport Horse gelding by Diarado took their record to two wins from three EI90 (Amateur) starts on Saturday when completing on the winning dressage score (25.3) they were awarded by Coreen Abernethy.

For so long associated with Festy Breeze, Ann Bowe made her competitive debut on Happy Go Lucky at Tyrella (4), where things didn’t go entirely to plan, but the pair were on better terms on Saturday when they too finished on their flat work mark (33.8) to place second.

In the pony rider ranks, Rockon Pedro certainly lived up to his name in the EI100 (P) where, ridden by Maya Constable for her mother Kim, the 14-year-old Irish Sports Pony by Newtown Pedro demolished his five rivals when completing on his very impressive dressage score of 17 penalties. Charlotte Betts finished a long way adrift in second with Akoroa Bittersweet (40.9).

There were six starters in that class and one less in the EI90 (P) where Charlie Weston (12) recorded her second win of the season, to go with three runner-up finishes, on her grandfather Mervyn Gibson’s Connemara mare Leamore Girl (24.8), an eight-year-old dun by Classiebawn Hughs Promise. Southern raider Abbey Ferris finished second with Connaght Curlew (31.1) who was making his DI debut.