NOT for the first time this season, the entries were limited at Ballindenisk last weekend and those who were lucky enough to make the cut were met with straightforward tracks over near-perfect conditions.

Staging their fourth fixture of the current campaign, Peter Fell and his team had put in great efforts to ease the sting in the ground, both by watering and aggravating the tracks. “I was actually quite surprised how firm the ground was on Friday,” admitted Fell. “So we aggravated on Saturday and watered both on Saturday night and Sunday. If you can do it - you do it right.”

Fell also explained his reasoning for the entry cap of 150 runners, which meant a number of prospective entries were refused. “It’s a comfortable number to run, as it means we can finish at five o’clock,” he said. “This makes for a much more civilised day, both for the riders and especially all our volunteers.”

Co Wexford teenager Ciara O’Connor is no stranger to the winner’s enclosure, but at Ballindenisk last Sunday she was especially delighted to land her first Eventing Ireland win at the EI115 level. Riding her aunt Sharon O’Connor’s home-bred mare Ashwood Iron Lady, O’Connor trounced a high-class field to leave an impressive group of international riders in her wake. This was the duo’s third attempt at the level and, in a challenging position from the outset, they held second spot after dressage (28.6), before producing two faultless jumping performances.

What made the win even sweeter was that it laid to rest their debut at the venue last month, when the daughter of Iron Man Van de Paderborre refused to enter the water. “She made up for it at Grove where she was third, and here again she was super,” said O’Connor. “The plan is now to pick up another couple of 1.15m runs, with the aim of moving up to two-star later in the year.”

It’s been a busy time for the Gorey-based 17-year-old, who at the present is gaining valuable experience working for Richard Sheane at Cooley Farms. She is short listed for the junior European squad with her second horse Cooley Rebound while, adding to her not inconsiderable workload, she has qualified no less than four horses and ponies for the RDS.

The final result went to the wire and, having led the opening two phases on 26.8 and with no margin for error, Michael Ryan and JVK Eclipse needed a clear round over the coloured poles to hold their position. Unfortunately, just one pole on the floor proved expensive for them, but opened the door for the clean jumping Kief Rhapsody of Belline (Noel Dunne) to move into second spot (28.9) from Ali Fitzpatrick and Kelly. Aside from one isolated refusal, all 15 runners (there were a further 15 running HC non-competitive) completed.