ZARA Reid may not have had as many rides as Steven Smith and Casey Webb at the Eventing Ireland Northern Region event at Hazeldene last Saturday but, from two mounts, the 17-year-old won the EI90 on Major Cross and was very narrowly beaten into second in the EI100 (J) with The Doctors Touch, both owned by her father Gary.

In the 15-runner EI90, Reid was recording her first affiliated win on Major Cross (Insatiable - Cross Of Mye, by Tasset) since taking over the ride on the now 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding at the end of 2024. She completed on her Coreen Abernethy-awarded dressage score (28), as did the second and third-placed Jennifer Gilchrist on Millstream Mahler (30.8) and Ella Watters with Shadows Golden Boy (31).

David O’Connor led after the first phase on Baile An Sceilg (27), but that hat-trick-seeking thoroughbred gelding picked up 12 show jumping penalties to drop to sixth.

In the EI100 (J), in which there were also 15 starters, the first three completed on their dressage scores viz Amy Louise Clarke with Crannaghmore Emirs Cailin (32.5), Reid and The Doctors Touch (32.8) and Cayleigh Erwin riding Murph (33). Leading after the first phase, Sofia Ball on Class Cut Diamond (27.3) and Gracie Thompson-Logan with BVS Fairway (29.3) both dropped down the order after show jumping, while Thompson-Logan was eliminated across the country.

First success

This was also a first success for Clarke and the traditionally-bred ISH mare Crannaghmore Emirs Cailin (Elusive Emir - Marys Lady), on whom Casey Webb had finished fourth of 29 in an EI100 here last year, when having her sole ride on the bay for her breeder, Darragh Glynn.

Neither Clarke nor Reid have made entries for Hazeldene today, Reid instead riding The Doctors Touch at Balmoral, where she is competing in the Bluegrass Horse Feed schools’ open team show jumping championship for Dromore High, where she is in Lower Sixth, studying for her A-levels. Reid will compete both The Doctors Touch and Major Cross at national level for the season and in Pony Club activities as a member of the East Down Branch.

Despite the addition of 1.2 cross-country time penalties, David O’Connor rounded off his day with a win in the EI80 with his wife Elaine’s as yet officially-unnamed Tullymurry Elegance (S Creevagh Ferro - Creevagh Dreamer, by Creevagh Into Touch). Bred by the late Ronnie Hollinger and purchased from Andrew Getty, the tall ISH mare was making her EI debut here at the age of eight.

Lindsay Martin held a comfortable lead after the Corey Mawhinney-judged dressage phase with Meadowspring (25.5), but picked up 9.2 cross-country time penalties to drop to second. Four combinations were eliminated in this 14-runner class, one in the dressage phase and three over the fixed fences.

Denis Currie may have incurred 5.6 cross-country time penalties in the EI110 (Amateur) with his ISH gelding Merlot, but he led after dressage and recorded the only show jumping clear to see off his four rivals on a clear total of 37.1. This was a third victory from five starts this season for Currie and his 16-year-old ISH gelding by Lancelot.

Mya McMullan was penalised for time in both jumping stages of the EI110 (J), but it mattered little as she and her parents’ CSF Quality Surprise, a 13-year-old mare by OBOS Quality 004, were the only starters. While Currie is attending Balmoral today, McMullan and CSF Quality Surprise are again lining out at Hazeldene.

Honours

There were just two starters in the EI100 (P) where, because of her better dressage score and despite the addition of 10 cross-country time penalties, Charlie Watson claimed the honours with her grandfather Mervyn Gibson’s nine-year-old Connemara mare Leamore Girl, a dun daughter of Classiebawn Hughs Promise.

Through the phases, there was chopping and changing at the top of the 10-runner EI90 (Amateur) class. Rachel Willams led following the dressage phase with Entwistle Swann Song (24). Following their clear show jumping round, Gillian Neill took over the lead on The Crafty Fox. Neither of those combinations completed the final phase, which left Julie Coombs at the top of the standings with Bruno Mars. Coombs and the nine-year-old bay gelding were the only combination of the five finishers to go double clear inside the time.

Despite a pole down show jumping and 0.4 of a cross-country time penalty, Darcy Turley followed up her Vesey Lodge EI80 success by winning the EI90 (P) here with Budore Mystic Legend, a 19-year-old Welsh Section D gelding by Llanveynoe Blaze of Glory.

Darcy, who had slightly over 10 points in hand over her closest rival, is trained at Tullymurry by her mother Sarah and her aunt, Elaine O’Connor. Bred by the Cleland family, Budore Mystic Legend has been part of the family for the past five years and was previously campaigned by Darcy’s sister Emily.

Describing the occasion, the family said it was “a dream come true” and praised Legend’s steady temperament and willingness to help build confidence for his new rider. With such a successful start, the future looks bright for both Darcy and Legend, as they continue their journey together in competition.