KILLOSSERY Lodge Stud held its first Dressage Ireland-affiliated show in many years last Thursday week, but this was a fixture with a difference being a dedicated examination training and testing show run by DI’s judges’ committee with the full support of the DI board.

These events are usually run at regional shows and/or national championships but, as there is a lot of time and paperwork involved, they can interfere with the running of a show. Having revived its protocols last season, the judges’ committee decided that a dedicated training and examination show was the way forward.

A mid-week date wouldn’t interfere with the national calendar and the Glynn family were happy to host the show at Killossery. With entries from all around the country for the five classes (Preliminary to Advanced Medium), the one well-presented arena was in use from 10am to 6pm.

Examining judges with DI, Dermot Cannon and Marie Hennessy, assessed those wishing to get on to List 6 and passed Joanne Cairns and Nathalie O’Hanrahan. Mark Ruddock, chair of DI, and Clare Deithrick, both examining judges with British Dressage, took the higher levels and passed Rachel Dowley, Yvonne Chisholm and Alison Thorne (List 5), Ciara Egan (List 4), Jean Halpenny (List 3) and Marian Slattery (List 3A).

Jane Whitaker was secretary for the show and, having done all she could in advance, she travelled over to the Premier League British Dressage show at Vale View Equestrian in Leicestershire where she sat, and passed, her List 1 exam.