THE Seskinore Harriers Branch ran the Area 17 eventing last Sunday at Ash Hollow Equestrian, where they were greatly assisted by members of the Eventing Ireland Northern Region team and by volunteers from branches across the Area.

As was the case in 2023 and 2025, there were just two starters in the Chairman’s Cup, where last year’s winner, Eirin McCrea, who picked up 4.4 cross-country time penalties on Eisfee, had to settle for the runner-up position this time around on a total of 37.6.

The winner was McCrea’s East Antrim teammate, Cayleigh Erwin, who completed on her dressage score (35.6) with Murph, the 15-year-old bay gelding with whom she has won once and been placed five times in seven EI Junior outings this season, the last two being at 110 level. For the record, there were three starters in this class in 2024.

Two composite squads contested the PC100 team competition, where the winners on a combined score of 120.5 were the Area 17 Sperrins team of Holly Blythe (North Down), Zara Reid (North Down), Tori Lilly (Fermanagh) and Anna Sloan (East Down).

With four on their team, they were able to drop their worst score as opposed to the Area 17 Mournes’ trio of Chloe Cathcart (Fermanagh), Abbie Harkness (Tullylagan) and Stewart Beattie (Seskinore), who completed on 141.6.

On her dressage score (30.7), Cathcart was compensated by her individual success at this level with the 17-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Killoughey Clover Imp (Killoughey Clover - Killoughey Imp, by Master Imp). Four time penalties over the Adam Stevenson-built cross-country course proved costly for Isabella Irwin, a member of the Killultagh, Old Rock and Chichester Branch, who led after the first phase on 29.5 with Captain Beach, on whom she has been placed in all three of her EI100 (J) starts this year.

Eleven squads contested the PC90 team competition, where the honours on 104 penalties were claimed by the North Down Red foursome of Tilly Ham, Aoife Davis, Zara Reid and Rachel Booth. Another quartet, the East Down Smarties, finished second on 113.8, ahead of the Iveagh Pandas’ trio who completed on the same score, but had to settle for third.

Isaac McCarthy, who was a member of that Iveagh Pandas’ team, moved up from third to win his individual Arena A on his flat work mark (32.5) with the well-known ISH gelding Arodstown Aramis (Shannondale Sarco St Ghyvan - Rosetown Echo, by Broussard). On their only EI start this year, McCarthy won the 14-runner EI90 at Glenpatrick on the bay, who his grandfather, Denis Currie, competed at CCI2*-L level.

Time penalties

On a score of 25.8, McCarthy led Arena B after dressage with his Iveagh Orcas’ team ride Suirvalley Little Monkey on whom, earlier in the year, he won the Baileys Horse Feeds flexi eventing series at The Meadows. However, he and the 19-year-old bay gelding picked up 3.2 cross-country time penalties to drop to second behind North Down Red team member Zara Reid, who completed on her first phase score (26.9) with Major Cross (Insatiable - Cross Of Mye, by Tasset), the 11-year-old ISH gelding on whom she won the 15-runner EI90 at Hazeldene 1.

Nine squads started in the PC80 team competition, where the clear-cut winners were the East Antrim Black quartet of Annie Morrow, Paige Erwin, CJ O’Brien and Daniel Stewart, who completed on 95.9 penalties. Also fielding four riders apiece to finish second and third were East Down Starburst (111) and Seskinore Spangles (114.2).

Individually, North Down team member Molly Reid moved up from second to win Arena A on her dressage score (30.8), with the well-known 16-year-old mare Greylands Diamond Girl as the first phase winner, East Antrim’s Annie Davis, dropped to second having picked up 3.2 cross-country time penalties for a total of 31.3 with AJ Lightening Cavalier.

PC80 winner Annie Morrow of East Antrim on Liberty’s Benjamin at the Area 17 Pony Club Eventing \ Jonathan Sterritt JRS Photography

The East Antrim Branch recorded a very impressive win in Arena B, where Annie Morrow and the eight-year-old palomino gelding Liberty’s Benjamin, who are a well-known combination at Dressage Ireland-affiliated shows, completed on their flat work mark (22.5), as did the second-placed pairing of the East Downs’ William Steele and Knockbordan Revelation (33.5).

On a total of 90.6 penalties, the East Down Dolly Mixtures’ Emma Turley, Jamie Newsam, Rose O’Connor and Annie Lucas saw off the challenge of East Antrim (98.2) and East Down Jelly Babies (104.4) to win the PC70 team event.

The East Antrims’ Jake Ross recorded an all-the-way victory to win Arena A on board the 18-year-old dun gelding Mini Digger (27.8), with O’Connor doing likewise on 24.2 in Arena B with the nine-year-old ISH gelding Hill Farm Pebble (Centre Stage - Holiday Moonlight, by Derrigragh Robin). Seskinore member Ana Donnelly won the six-runner PC70+ with Bobby Dazzler (37.2).