THERE were three competitive combined training classes last Sunday at CoilOg for the second leg of this year’s DAFM eventing autumn development series.

“We had an impressive turnout, showcasing the talents of young horses and ponies,” commented organiser Caroline Moran. “There was great camaraderie between spectators and competitors, which included a number of junior riders. The event highlighted the depth of quality in our young horses. Congratulations to all participants for their hard work and dedication.”

Dressage was judged by Lynne Cassidy and Vida Tansey while Noeleen Jones was the day’s jumping judge. The tracks were, of course, designed and built by CoilÓg’s Chris Byrne.

Twenty started in the CT100 for five-year-olds where the John Tilley-ridden MBF Misty Morning (29.25) led throughout to narrowly beat the Lexi Kilfeather-partnered Irish Sport Horse mare TDS Aurelia (30.5) into second. A pole down show jumping proved costly for Leila Baker on board Ballytarsna Q So Good, another ISH mare, as they dropped from second to seventh (33.75).

John Tilley and MBF Misty Morning won the CT100 for five-year-olds at the DAFM Autumn Developement Series in CoilÓg \ Sagittarian Photography

This was a second success in a week for the busy Tilley and the Zangersheide mare MBF Misty Morning following their win in the open EI100 staged during the Eventing Ireland national championships at Barnadown. The grey daughter of Kazan Z was bred in Belgium by Judy Ann Melchior out of the Colestus mare Kilottie ES.

“We bought her privately as a three-year-old from Maeve and Brian Flynn of MBF Sporthorses on behalf of Vicky Crofts in Wales,” revealed Andrew Williams, spokesperson for his and Tilley’s Kilkenny International operation. “Vicky sent her over to us a couple of months ago to produce for sale. She will do the third leg of the series next weekend but she’s also doing the DAFM show jumping development series leg at Warrington on Sunday (tomorrow); she’s a very good jumper.”

Talent

There were 17 starters in the CT90 four-year-old class, eight of whom were clear in the show jumping phase including the top six in the final placings.

These were headed throughout by the Rachael Thompson-ridden Garronturton Dollar (26 penalties) who also won at The Meadows last month. The ISH mare by Hos d’O was home-bred in Co Armagh by her owner Lisa Rosbotham out of the Grade A mare Garronturton Beach (by Beach Ball) who took a few years out of competition to breed three foals but is now back jumping at 1.10m level with Thompson.

“She was broken quite late so we haven’t done a lot with her,” commented the winning rider of Garronturton Dollar. “We’ve already decided we won’t be going to Wexford Equestrian (for the final leg) with the mare but are, instead, going to aim her at the four-year-old class coming up during the autumn championships at Portmore.”

Thompson has also done a small amount of show jumping with the dam’s first foal Garralent, a five-year-old gelding by Valent, while the mare’s third produce is a two-year-old Vittorio filly named Garrontorio.

One of eight Kilkenny International-produced horses at CoilÓg on Sunday, Katherine Naylor’s ISH gelding Lord Heffinick Dec (28.5), a bay son of Vivant van de Heffinck, finished second under Somerset native Anna Stillwell.

Honours for Walsh

Seventeen combinations also contested the six and seven-year-old class where Junior event rider Chloe Walsh made all to claim the honours by a point on her mother Val’s ISH gelding Enniskerry Masterpiece (30).

Chloe Walsh and Enniskerry Masterpiece, winners of the six and seven-year-old class at the DAFM Autumn Developement Series in CoilÓg \ Sagittarian Photography

This was another in-form combination as the pair had finished third of 16 in the EI100 Junior national championship at Barnadown the previous weekend. A six-year-old by Van Gogh, the winner was bred in Co Wicklow by David Bourke out of the Watermill Swatch mare Enniskerry Encore whose Sligo Candy Boy gelding, Enniskerry Echo, finished sixth in the five-year-old young event horse championship at Dublin in August.

Here, on the same dressage score (31) and identical collective mark (27.5), Leila Barker finished joint-second with two six-year-old ISH geldings. These were Fionn, Sarah McCullagh’s Orestus home-bred who won on his two starts in EI100 classes earlier in the year, and Barker’s own Hadley Sport Horses-bred Cicero For HSH, a Cicero Z Van Paemal chesnut who has 14 SJI points to his credit.

Poor entry

Once again, there was a very poor entry for the pony classes.

Two Connemaras contested the six and seven-year-old section where India Cox’s good lead after dressage was overturned when her mother Tamso’s 2018 Fear Beag Bui mare Kinamara Lady Destiny lowered two fences for a total of 39.75.

Under Morgan Leahy, the clean jumping Eighterard Lad claimed the honours on his first phase score of 37.25. A gelded son of Caherlistrane Bay, the seven-year-old was bred in Co Galway by Paul McQuinn out of the Bell Spailpín Fánach mare Eighterard Lady. The bay has 61 Show Jumping Ireland points to his credit.

Isla Coad, who recorded an uncontested victory on her dressage score (34.75) in the five-year-old class, did so on Avril Hobson’s Tooaverha (34.75). This home-bred Connemara gelding was first produced on the Stepping Stones circuit during the spring by Debbie Flavin, finishing second in the event pony league.

Being by Silver Shadow out of the Grange Merlin Surf mare Océan Bealtaine, the bay is a full-brother to Lon Mac Líomhtha on whom the owner/breeder’s daughter Sarah Keane represented Ireland at the 2021 European pony eventing championships.

The third and final leg of the DAFM series takes place this day week, Saturday, October 25th, at Wexford Equestrian.

Western Region combined training

THE Western Region of Eventing Ireland is holding four autumn combined training shows at Milchem Equestrian, starting tomorrow, Sunday, October 19th.

The show jumping tracks will be set at 80cm, 90cm and 1m. Riders can choose to do both phases, just the dressage or just the show jumping phase. In each class, there will be dedicated Riding Club and Pony Club (riders over 12) sections.

The remaining three shows will be held on Saturday, November 1st, Sunday, November 16th and Sunday, November 30th.