IT seemed a strange move to hold the 2025 Eventing Ireland national championships at an entirely new venue but Maurice and Felicity Cousins’s Barnadown Equestrian proved the ideal location last weekend following the effects of Storm Amy.

There was plenty of hardcore for parking, the dressage and show jumping phases were staged on all-weather surfaces while the cross-country track was on free-draining land which, ironically, would have required watering had the rain not come.

It was disappointing that the two-day event wasn’t better supported by the country’s senior riders but most had competed at the Ballindenisk international the previous weekend and had probably decided some time ago to sign off for the season at that stage.

Some senior riders were heading to Boekolo while the fact that the 120 and 115 champions had been crowned earlier in the season removed a lot of lustre from the championships for those higher-level riders.

Also, there were many junior and pony riders at the Co Cork event whose campaign could well have been ended there and then by parents and guardians in favour of school and college.

The weather wasn’t too pleasant at Barnadown on Saturday when all dressage tests were performed over three arenas and the show jumping phases of the EI80 and EI90 classes took place. As this concluded, competitors in the EI80, EI90 and EI100 championships could take in a course walk with HSI Level 3 coach Sally Corscadden. A reception was held on Saturday evening which featured the Eventing Ireland volunteers’ draw (See page 98).

Show jumping for those competing in the EI100 classes started at 9am on Sunday followed by the EI110 championship. Unusually, for a national competition, the cross-country action, which commenced at 10am, began at EI80 level.