THE Cavan Elite Foal Auction held on Thursday night during the indoor championships saw the sale topper attracting a whopping €48,000. This was Lot 23, Crosskeys, a chesnut colt by Kafka VD Heffinck out of Jumeirah (Ard VDL Douglas). He was sold to Freestyling Farm in the USA, run by Sligo native Trevor Gaffney, for €48,000. The next top price of €32,000 was paid by international show jumper Jordan Coyle for Lot 28, Berkleys Farm’s Berkleys Californication, a bay colt by last year’s sale-topping sire, United Touch S. This colt is out of Cassinja S (Carinjo HDC). A full report on both the championships and the foal sale will appear in next week’s edition.

Connors scores at Cornbury

BEN Connors won the new British Eventing Advanced class for under-25 riders on his own OLS King Aragon at Cornbury House Horse Trials on Thursday. This Advanced section, with a new cross-country track designed by Andrew Heffernan, was held as part of the Oxfordshire event’s preparations for hosting the FEI World Championships for U25s in September 2027.

Ben, 19, was third after dressage on a mark of 30.5 with the 15-year-old home-bred. The pair lowered one show jump, and then sped round the cross-country for 4.4 time-faults and a finishing score of 38.9. British rider Finn Healy was second on Intentie W with a score of 40.8. A further report on Irish performances in Cornbury, which is ongoing over the weekend, will appear in next week’s edition.

Breeder correction

THE breeder of First Ruler, winner of the Small Riding Horse class and the Riding Horse Championship at the 2026 Gallagher Dublin Horse Show was incorrectly reported to have been Christopher Curtis. The breeder of this four-year-old by Anarchist out of Keelnacally Carnival Puiss was in fact Gerald Moynan (MRCVS). We apologise for the error.