THE honours were widely spread last Sunday at Ballycahane where the Co Limerick Hunt Branch of the Irish Pony Club held their Connolly’s Red Mills eventing series qualifier.

Ten combinations started, and finished, in the Open class which was won on her dressage score by Kilkenny’s Aisling Dwan riding her father John’s traditionally-bred Irish Sport Horse gelding Lackelly Star (29.5 penalties), a 13-year-old grey by the Connemara stallion Carraig Eibhir. The hosts’ Ben Buckley was narrowly beaten into second on the former Olympic event horse Tullabeg Flamenco (29.75).

There was an even closer result in the 23-runner Intermediate as both Carlow’s Rosemary Dundon riding Ah To Be Sure and Wicklow’s Sorcha Vickers with Interface completed on their identical dressage score of 25 penalties. When their cross-country times were scrutinised, Dundon claimed the win on the 19-year-old skewbald gelding Ah To Be Sure as hers was closer to the optimum.

Thirty-six combinations faced the starter in the Intro Intermediate where there was an all-the-way win for North Tipperary and Ormond’s Alyssa Culbert on board the ISH mare Lowertown Miss Elsie, an 11-year-old grey daughter of Rosheen Yeats.

Remarkable result

There was a remarkable result in Section A of the Junior class where, from a starting field of 33, Duhallow members and sisters, Orla and Tara Flynn, completed on their joint-winning dressage scores of 27 penalties! As her time across the country was closer to the optimum, Orla claimed the honours on the 16-year-old bay gelding Kilbeg Tommy with Tara having to settle for second on the eight-year-old piebald mare Kildangan Music Box.

The result was more clear-cut in Section B where Wexford’s Sarah Finn completed on her winning dressage score with the six-year-old grey gelding Sruthan Prince.

There was a divide also to the Under 12s’ competition with the honours in Section A going to The Kingdom’s Saibh Prenderville, who completed on her second-place dressage score with the 17-year-old Wings Of Justice mare Sunny Girl, while, despite picking up one time penalty, Section B was won by Carbery’s Charlie Scriven on the Connemara gelding Ballybrit Cashel, a 19-year-old Currachmore Cashel grey.

There were only four starters and just two finishers in the Novice Junior competition won by West Waterford’s Sarah O’Connor on the 16-year-old bay mare Halston Lupin.

The Tipperary Hunt Branch is holding a Red Mills qualifier tomorrow at Grove with the Killinicks running their traditional mid-week qualifier at Sleedagh on Wednesday.