THE day’s hosts, Alison and Ian Wilson, were on holiday when the Northern Region of Eventing Ireland held a one-day event at Vesey Lodge last Saturday, but they no doubt quickly learned how pleased all competitors were with conditions at their home north of Belfast.

The first thing that always strikes people driving into Vesey Lodge is the immaculate maintenance of all the hedges and, on walking the Adam Stevenson-designed cross-country course, the grass covering and the presentation of the well-built fences which Aaron McCusker matched up in the show jumping arena.

None of the above would be possible without the huge input of Noel Fitzpatrick who takes immense pride in having everything perfect at this venue, backed up by his hard-working team of wife Noreen, daughter Holly and Mags Oleszek - all of whom could hear people’s comments on Saturday.

Hopefully the Wilsons will be at home when Vesey Lodge (2) takes place in early September when they can be thanked in person for hosting the event which couldn’t take place without the co-operation of their neighbours, Eddie and Jan Martin, who open up their fields for the cross-country track.

The region has a wonderful team of officials and volunteers, who quite often move from venue to venue, but the car-parking detail came in for much praise on Saturday as they directed the many drivers into the restricted space available. As is the norm, the cross-country action couldn’t commence until the last combination had ridden their dressage tests and the arenas were lifted.

Number one

Usually his by right, Steven Smith got to carry the Horse First No 1 in his bib for the first time this season in the nine-runner EI110 (Open) but only managed to finish fourth on Newferry Jagermeister whose total of 36.2 included four show jumping penalties and 0.4 for time across the country. The Gilford rider fared a bit better on Saunderscourt Ambassador who completed in third on his Vanda Stewart-awarded dressage score of 32.5.

The runaway winner however was Clare Abbott who completed on her winning flat work mark with Marshall and Sarah Riley’s seven-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Kilcoltrim Cooley (24.8) who started off the season with two runs in Britain followed by a winning EI debut in the EI115 at Tyrella (4). Fellow Northern Region member Lucy McIlroy filled the runner-up spot with the 15-year-old Major Black (31.5) who had a fence down show jumping on his second start of the campaign.

Impressive

“Saturday was lovely!” enthused Abbott. “Vesey always seem to get the rain so it was great that they had a lovely day and the conditions were ideal. It’s very well laid out on a small site and it was lovely to have natural fences there and an impressive water jump. Kilcoltrim Cooley is really impressive for his age and very solid in all three phases. He’s a super prospect for the future and his owner Sarah enjoyed watching him compete close to home on Saturday.”

There is no outing to Millstreet on the horizon for the Plot Blue gelding who, registered as Kilcoltrim Kory, was bred in Co Carlow by Aileen Doyle. His dam is the Cavalier Royale mare Cavimperius whose previous produce include the Touchdown gelding A Touch Imperious (CSI5*) and the Chacco Blue mare Kilcoltrim Blue (CSI3*).

From five mounts on Saturday, Steven Smith finished second, third twice and fourth but while success eluded him as a rider his Gilford yard struck in the EI110 (J) which Newry’s Lee Bloomfield won on Susan O’Shea’s 13-year-old ISH gelding BGS Tea Or Coffee (38.3 penalties) ahead of Eimear Donaghy and TMS Freedom (41.5). In common with 12 others in the 14-strong class, the first two erred in the show jumping arena.

Bloomfield (17), who has been competing the BGS Salt And Pepper chesnut since last summer, is doing a Level 3 apprenticeship with CAFRE and recently passed his BHS Stage 3 riding exam.

Five of the 19 starters in the EI100 (J) completed on the scores they were awarded by dressage judge Martina McKinley whose winner, to no great surprise, was 15-year-old Maeve Deverell on her father Sam’s ISH gelding Annaharvey Dunowen (22 penalties), a 12-year-old home-bred Radolin dun. The Co Westmeath duo finished clear of the runners-up, Jenna Morton and Estella Great Expectations (28.5).