IT has been a long time between drinks on the Eventing Ireland front for Anita Doherty, who recorded her first win since September 2020 when landing the EI90 (Amateur) at Tullymurry last Saturday.

Doherty was the only rider to complete on her dressage score (24.8 penalties) in the 11-runner class where, having been lying third initially on Way With Words, she was soon left in front when the two ahead of her had problems in the show jumping ring.

Way With Words, who showed much improved form on her fifth start, is a five-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare by Calamiro. The bay was bred by former international show jumper and racehorse trainer George Stewart out of the Gold Well mare Pendale, who was unplaced in five runs in point-to-points and three in bumpers. Three of the starters failed to complete.

Two Co Westmeath-based riders finished first and second in the EI100 (Amateur). The win, on her flat work mark (26.3), went to Rachael O’Callaghan with her ISH mare MBF Like To Move It, on whom she was competing for just the second time. Emily Murphy led after dressage on Lilly Bobtail (24.8), but this unraced thoroughbred mare had a fence down show jumping.

MBF Like To Move It, who was bred by Michael Kavanagh, carries 85% thoroughbred blood being by Move To Strike out of the Kings Master mare Kilpatrick Duchess. The latter is dam previously of the Albrana gelding Jockey Club Global Theodoros (CCI3*-S) and the Cobra gelding Cooley Moonshine (CCI4*-L). Six of the 10 starters picked up show jumping penalties including Perrine Pilate on Brackloon Dextor who, on 27 after dressage, lowered three fences.

Denis Currie recorded his fifth win of the season in the EI110 (Amateur) class, despite picking up time penalties in both jumping phases to complete on 39.3 with his 16-year-old ISH gelding Merlot, a chesnut son of Lancelot. Here, Britt Megahey led following the first phase on R Showman (28.5), but they had jumping and time problems over both the coloured poles and the fixed fences and plummeted to the bottom of the seven-runner field.