HAVING had to sit out the previous weekend, the Smith Brothers Eventing yard returned with a vengeance at The Clare on Saturday, senior rider Steven Smith leading the charge when recording a treble.

This came up in one of the day’s featured classes, the Belline Equestrian Mondial du Lion Pathway EI100 for five-year-olds, where he led from start to finish on Ann Bowe’s newcomer Le Barantula (26). Smith also finished third, on his dressage score, with another debutant, CJO Lux Tangoed (29.3) while sandwiched between the pair was the Jonny Steele-ridden Punch Lion (28) who was having his third start.

A chesnut Irish Sport Horse gelding by Echonix, Le Barantula, who has done a small amount of affiliated show jumping, was bred in Co Fermanagh by Megan McCrory out of the OBOS Quality 004 mare Le Quality Lady.

Riding Somerville Springheeled and again completing on his dressage score (26.8), Steele also had to settle for the runner-up spot in the seven-runner EI110 (Open) where Smith had a pole down show jumping with Susan O’Shea’s ISH gelding Tullaher Paudie (25.3). This eight-year-old son of Shannondale Sarco St Ghyvan had scored at the same level last time out at Tullymurry (1).

Despite being two seconds over the time in the show jumping phase, Smith had little trouble in landing the five-runner EI100 on his own ISH gelding Lachain Lance (26.8). Consistently in the placings since starting his EI career at Ash Hollow a year ago, this was a first win for the Lancelot six-year-old who was bred in Co Galway by Tom Lenihan out of the Cruising mare Lachain Cruise Dancer.

Co Kilkenny’s Christine O’Donnell finished second on her flat work mark (30.5) with her six-year-old Future Trend gelding Killeenhousestud BGK (30.5).

Smith’s daughter Hollie recorded a comfortable all-the-way victory in the EI100 (Amateur) on the ISH gelding Mr Diceman (25.8), an 11-year-old bay by Ringfort Cruise, while one of the Gilford yard’s working pupils, Anna McErlean, completed on her winning dressage score in the 13-runner EI100 (J) on Smith’s ISH gelding Saunderscourt Ambassador (24.3), a 12-year-old grey by Cruisings Ambassador.

In total, Smith Brothers Eventing recorded 13 top six placings, two of those coming in the EI100 where Casey Webb finished second, on her dressage score, with Knockaleery Mill Leat (30.3) and third on Grantstown Dun And Dusted (33.3) who had a fence down show jumping. Despite the addition of six cross-country time penalties, the winner of the seven-strong class was Ian McCluggage on Lindsay Martin’s home-bred ISH gelding Meadowspring (29), a tall, eight-year-old son of Gortfree Hero.

“We had a great day at The Clare,” commented Steven Smith.

“We were very pleased with our own young horses, as well as the performances of our junior riders in the yard.

"Declan, Becky and all their team have put so much effort into running a great event, listening to feedback, putting on new classes and promoting the sport. We will all be cheering on Kitty this weekend at the pony Europeans.”