The Eventing Ireland one-day event held at Clyda on June 8th delivered competitive action across all levels, with few classes seeing dramatic leaderboard changes after the show jumping and cross-country phases.

In the competitive Mervue Equine EI115, Kim O’Gorman continued her run of form on her own 13-year-old gelding Californian Wolf to top this class, leading from start to finish with a dressage score of 34.3, adding just four show jumping penalties to finish on 38.3. This striking Palomino by Crosskeys Rebel (CP) out of Tissaia (TB) won last week at Hillcrest and was fourth at Hazeldene.

Molly O’Neill and her own Muckridge Quick Step (by O.B.O.S Quality 004 out of Miss Baker (ISH)) remained close throughout, scoring 35.7 in dressage, and also adding just four show jumping penalties for a total of 39.7.

Alex O’Hare moved into third on Jerona HBC (KWPN by Farfan M) with a dressage score of 38.6 and with one pole down to finish on 42.6.

Speaking after her win, O’Gorman was full of praise for the event. “It was the nicest ground we’ve had all year, they spiked it and it was just a gorgeous to gallop on. It didn’t rain the whole day and it was a really big, chunky, course with some fences that you wouldn’t get the chance to jump elsewhere.

“Especially for my younger horse and at 90 and 100 level, you got to jump the big ditches and they’re just so educational. We hope to get to Lisgarvan with him where they have a ditch with a brush behind so that was great to do. It really felt like a relaxed and very well run event.

“He’s (Californian Wolf) just in great form, loving life, and he was so fast, I had to slow down towards the end! He’s just a real cool customer, and he’s clever, he reads everything. He can be cheeky in his dressage sometimes but his heart’s in the right place, he just has that lovely pony brain that’s always working with you.

“I am so grateful to have Sean Burgess who comes to the yard to do my dressage and I’m next door to Sophie Richards who I trained with all winter. Then on the day it’s my mum Mary who helps me as my husband and dad stay home with the kids. Given his form now I think I’d like to do an advanced this year, I am not as brave as I used to be but he is brave enough for both of us so we’ll see how it goes!”

Louise Kennedy was the uncontested winner of the EI115 (Open) with Eromenom JJ (ISH by Mr Clover and bred by John Taylor). She scored 32.0 in dressage, added zero penalties in show jumping, and had 20 jumping and 31.2 cross-country time penalties, finishing with a total of 83.2.

Louise Kennedy and Eromenom JJ at Clyda 1 \ Louise O'Brien Photography

In the EI110 (Open) Rebecca Coughlan and Miss Cooley (by Ramiro B and bred by Patsy Toner) delivered a strong all-round performance to win on her dressage score of 35.5, edging out Michael Ryan and Tullibards Bennys Rainbow who started with 34.3 in dressage, remained faultless in show jumping, but added a costly two cross-country time penalties to finish second on 36.3.

Lindsay Graham rode Moystown St Ghyvan (ISH by Shannondale Sarco St Ghyvan) to third, their third podium finish on the trot, after scoring the leading dressage result of 30.0 but eight show jumping faults saw them finish on 38.0.

Dominic Furnell dominated the large field in the Mervue Equine EI110, riding three of the top four horses. He won on Cruising Alone (ISH by Spirit House (TB), owned and bred by Thomas Jones) finishing on what was the joint leading dressage score of 27.3.

Second went to Janie Cairns riding Zambia Touch (ISH by Zambia) also who finished on that same dressage score but were slighlty faster across the country and as such were further from the optimum time of 6.09 than Furnell.

Furnell and SHL Donatello (ISH by Orestus (KWPN)) placed third on 28.0, also without any jumping penalties and riding Ballycahane Pocahontas (ISH by Pointilliste (TB)), Furnell was fourth, again on his dressage score of 29.5.