“THE course was brilliant and the going was super,” was the verdict of Nicola Ennis, who was one of two riders to score a double at the second Eventing Ireland fixture hosted by the Dulohery family at Kilguilkey House this season. Riding her own eight-year-old thoroughbred gelding Devils Cape, she was the all-the-way winner of the nine-runner EI115, adding nothing to her leading first phase score of 31.6 to finish well ahead of runners-up Molly O’Neill and Muckridge Ambassador (36.8).

Ennis’s second win of the day came courtesy of Michele Dennigan’s seven-year-old Air Jordan Z-sired HVL Air Springs in the EI110, where she repeated the feat of finishing on her leading dressage score, this time 26.3. Patrick Whelan was the only other competitor in the class to post a clean sheet in both jumping phases to finish second (30) riding his own Augustus Colman, who hasn’t incurred a single jumping or time penalty in any of his four Eventing Ireland runs. Whelan was also fifth with Maria Radford’s Kilbunny Tahiti (35.9), behind David Raeburn and JJ Big Red, third on 32.2, and Jennifer Kuehnle with Carrigshawn Zara, fourth on 33.

“They both pulled it out of the bag on the same day. It doesn’t happen very often, but it’s great when it does!” said a delighted Ennis after the event. “Both horses were very good. I picked Devils Cape up off the track as a five-year-old and I’ve been tipping along with him since, so I was delighted with his win in the EI115, especially as it’s only his second run at the level.”

When dressage leaders Daniel Alderson and the Lenihan family’s Seafield Celt withdrew before the final phase of the EI115 (Open), the way was clear for Kuehnle to add to her tally with a win aboard Cathal Daniel’s CDS Cairnview Romolu. The combination added just 6.8 time penalties to their first phase score of 31.4 to finish on 38.2, ahead of second-placed Daniel Meagher and A Classic Sportsfield. The latter pair posted the fastest cross-country round in the six-runner class to finish on 40.1.

EI100 winner Knockalla (ISH) and Alyssa O'Neill at Kilguilkey \ Justin Black Sport Horse Images

Having earlier finished third in the EI115 with her own Sligo Candy Boy-sired DS Candescent, Alyssa O’Neill also topped the leader board in the EI100 riding her own six-year-old gelding Knockalla (30.3). Patrick Whelan added another placing to his tally when he was second by a fraction with Kate Barrett’s GRC Gravity (30.5), usually the ride of his owner’s daughter Kate, while Sara Lundkvist took third on Sportsfield Cool As Ice (32.8). The top three all posted double clears here, while dressage leaders John Tilley and Goldbergs Sister Act (27) finished in eventual fourth after they incurred 6.8 cross-country time penalties.

Another double

Tilley was the other rider to claim a double at Kilguilkey, which began with his win in the six-runner EI110 (Open) aboard the six-year-old Borris Cornet Coole. They led after dressage on a mark of 24.3, and were the only combination in the class to remain fault-free in the jumping phases. Godfrey Gibbons took second and fourth with two traditionally-bred horses owned by Richard Ames, sandwiching Alison Holden into third aboard Lates Eddie. Belline Imperial Diamond finished the better of Gibbons’ two, adding four show jumping faults to his dressage score of 25, while Belline JFH Golden Spear posted a final score of 39.

The EI90 saw Tilley take his second victory, this time riding a five-year-old Eventing Ireland first-timer, the Vivant Van De Heffinck-sired Lord Heffinick DEC.

The combination’s win was decisive as they finished on their dressage score of 23.8, almost seven marks in advance of second-placed Rodney O’Donnell and another Vivant-sired eventing debutante Hillcrest Halo. Storm O’Connor took third riding Liam O’Flynn’s Newhaven Royale Cruise on a final score of 35.5.