THE result was a lot easier to decipher in the Junior/Young Rider classes at the Young Eventhorse Series qualifier in Orchard Lodge on Tuesday as first and second in both claimed the two RDS tickets on offer in both.

In Section A, Keelin McCarthy partnered her father Tom’s Irish Sport Horse gelding MGH Rioja to a comprehensive victory on a score of 296.5 points with Ava Kelly filling the runner-up slot on Ann and Lisa Cash’s home-bred ISH gelding SHL Cantbetamed (288), a seven-year-old chesnut by Luidam.

A member of the first crop by the Holstein stallion Lewine (by Livello), the six-year-old MGH Rioja, who has 50 Showjumping Ireland points to his credit, was bred in England by Padraig McCarthy. His dam is the Jumbo mare Jonella, an own-sister to the eventing stallion Philanderer (CCI4*-L).

The result was a lot closer in Section B where, riding for her mother Hannah, Kate Horgan claimed the honours on Highview Shakespeare (307.5), who will be paying a return trip to the RDS showgrounds, ahead of Aaron Doyle on Bundiocco (306.5). Caitie Slater narrowly missed out with Belline Special Lady (305.5) on whom she won the four-year-old young event horse class at Dublin in 2023.

Seventh of 17 in the EI110 A at Ballindenisk last Sunday, on the third of his three EI starts and the first at this level, the six-year-old Lagans OBOS Quality gelding Highview Shakespeare was bred in Co Clare by Vincent Meaney out of Moyglass Covers Rosie (by Coevers Diamond Boy).

Brianne Stanley’s well-related seven-year-old Shirocco gelding Bundiocco, who pulled up on his only start in a point-to-point in April 2023, won the Treo Eile prize as the highest-placed thoroughbred in the class.

Between the two sections, there were nine non-completions.