GILFORD’s Steven Smith recorded his first double of the season since early May, when winning two of the EI110 classes at Vesey Lodge last Saturday.

He opened his account in the 11-runner EI110 (Open) where, being a second over the time across the country, he added 0.4 of a penalty to his winning dressage score to bring up a hat-trick at this level on Gail McNab’s eight-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Greenhall Gold Dust (26.7), an eight-year-old chesnut son of Dignified van’t Zorgvliet.

The double came up in the EI110, where he also led throughout on John Greene’s six-year-old home-bred ISH mare Royal Fashion (by A Quidam M), whose total of 24.3 included 0.8 of a show jumping time penalty.

Smith, who has been very much involved in today’s new Northern Region event at Moyallen, also finished second, on his dressage score, in this 17-strong class, on Ann Bowe’s 2020 ISH gelding Le Barantula (27.3).

The wellbeing of the Smith Brothers’ yard was underlined by top six placings by three of its inmates, partnered by Casey Webb, while Steven’s daughter Hollie was also placed in her amateur class. All three of the Smith rides mentioned here are due to compete at Moyallen today and then on to Ballindenisk for the international.

As to Saturday’s venue, which was being used for the second time this year, the rider commented: “Vesey Lodge has great going and the cross-country course was educational. It’s a beautiful farm and we are very grateful to Ian Wilson and his team for running their events.”

That team includes Wilson’s wife Alison, cross-country course designer and builder Noel Fitzpatrick (mentored by Adam Stevenson), whose wife Noreen and daughter Holly dressed the fences, Northern Region personnel, the Wilson Auctions team and a vast number of volunteers. There were very few non-completions throughout the day.

With the only double clear inside the time, Sarah Ennis finished second (28 penalties) in the EI110 (Open) on the six-year-old ISH mare Fenyas Email (by Jaguar Mail), whose similarly-aged ‘aunt’ by Ramiro B, Fenyas Allure, recorded an all-the-way win (21.3) under the Co Meath rider in the EI100. The PJ Hegarty-owned and bred bay had been placed on her three previous starts.

Dressage scores

John Tilley, who was to partner two winners the following day at Kilguilkey House, had to settle for second and third here, on his dressage scores, with Isobella Donohoe’s former ride Pedro Noire (23), a six-year-old son of Vancouver, and the year-younger Balou du Rouet mare All Business (25), who had finished fourth on her debut a week earlier at Loughanmore.

Disappointingly, there were only four runners in the Treo Eile EI90 thoroughbred class, none of whom exited the show jumping ring without leaving at least one pole on the ground.

The all-the-way winner, whose total (28) included eight jumping penalties, was the 10-year-old Court Cave gelding Kingfisher Lane, who is being produced by rider Lucca Stubington for his breeder, Elizabeth ‘Hammie’ Hamilton, a former committee member of the Northern Region of Eventing Ireland. In Hamilton’s own colours, the bay won once over hurdles and was placed twice in bumpers, when trained by former international event rider Stuart Crawford.

One thoroughbred who completed on her dressage score on Saturday was the 10-year-old Captain Gerrard mare Supreme Dream, who did so in the hands of Robyn Rice, who has taken over the ride from sister Holly.

Unfortunately, their score of 27 was only good enough for second behind Eventing Ireland’s youth ambassador for 2026, Lucy Ferris who was on board her mother Mary’s all-the-way winner Duncarbery Cascade (23.3), a 16-year-old Connemara mare by Harp King.