BANBRIDGE’s Robyn Rice landed a career-first double last Saturday at Loughanmore, which she finished on her dressage score in the 17-runner non-restricted EI80 riding Alison Irwin’s British Sport Horse mare PSH Let’s Tango (26 penalties), an 18-year-old daughter of Song Song Blue.

The double was initiated in the EI100 (J) where, despite four show jumping penalties which gave her a total of 39.3, Rice held off 11 rivals on board her mother Julie’s 14-year-old Connemara mare Holiday Kruising (Annaghmore Ginger - Holiday Cruising Bambi, by Holiday Archfield).

Three riders were in front of Rice after dressage, but had problems in jumping. One of these was Ana Goodrich riding Lisnamuck What A Cracker (36.5), who ended up being eliminated on the final leg for leaving out the fourth element of the steps to skinny at four.

She, however, had some compensation in the eight-runner EI100 (P), where she was the only one to complete on her flat work mark (30) to bring up a hat-trick of victories with her mother Gemma Esler’s 11-year-old Irish Sport Pony gelding Broadleas Chase (Moores Clover - Schones Madchen, by Rathcoona Cove).

Second last (36.5) after dressage in the six-runner EI110 (J) and despite being two seconds over the time across the country, Isabel Byrne still managed to claim the win (37.3) on board Maureen McMahon’s home-bred six-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Hilton Ka Boom (Ganesh Hero Z - Angel, by Parco). Matilda Ormond recorded an uncontested victory in the EI110 (P) riding the eight-year-old Connemara gelding Rathlacken Vincent (Rathlacken Finnard - Lisadrone Tweety, by Corcullen Silver Belle).

Despite having a pole down show jumping for a total of 29.5, Saoirse Carty ran out a very narrow winner of the seven-runner EI90 (P) on board her mother Ciara’s six-year-old Connemara gelding Culmore Apple Jack (Doonard Lad - Culmore Noeleen, by Magherafadda Lad).