THE Bogossian family’s lovely Ballinamona estate outside Waterford City was the venue last Saturday for the first of this year’s Connolly’s Red Mills/Irish Pony Club eventing qualifiers, which was most efficiently run by the Waterford Hunt Branch.

Although some young riders probably didn’t appreciate it as much as others at the end of the day, the David Bogossian-designed, built and presented cross-country track was widely praised. So, too, were the efforts of the organising committee who, in their turn, thanked the army of officials and volunteers needed to safely run a competition such as this.

The Killinick, Newcastle Lyons and North Kilkenny Branches all recorded doubles, the first named initiating theirs in the day’s top-rated Intermediate class, in which there were 17 starters.

Here, thanks to her excellent dressage score of 19.25 penalties, Kate Jordan could easily afford the fence she had down show jumping as her cross-country clear saw her complete on 23.25 with the unraced Serene Ace (Sandmason - Rosies Rocket, by Definite Article). Jordan and this seven-year-old gelding won the Treo Eile racehorse to riding horse league at the Stepping Stones Series in Wexford Equestrian late last month.

Completing on their flat work marks to place second and third were the hosts’ Isaac Bogossian, riding the eight-year-old 148cm Grade B gelding Poynstown Vinny (32.5), and Jordan’s Killinick teammate Jessie Bates with another thoroughbred gelding, the 11-year-old Guns For Hire (33.25).

Freya Barry brought up the Killinick double in Section A of the Junior class, where she completed on her dressage score (23.75) with the 15-year-old ISH mare The Causey Girl (by Rebel Mountain).

Lowering one of the coloured poles proved costly for the flat phase winner, the South Union’s Alexis Jordan, who dropped to fourth with Twenty For Out (26.5).

The Newcastle Lyons double was recorded by the Flynn sisters, Aoife (19) and Lucy (14), who both completed on their winning dressage scores. The former struck in the Intro Intermediate, where she rode the Connemara gelding Fear Ciuin Frank (25.75), a seven-year-old grey by Glencarrig Ri, while in the Junior C, Lucy completed the double on the 12-year-old bay gelding Rock Houdini (25.25).

The North Kilkennys’ double was achieved through the efforts of the Clarke cousins. Completing on her flat work mark (30.5) with the 18-year-old gelding Black Trigger, Amber was left in front to claim the honours in the Intro Junior B, as the first phase winners on 26.5, Offaly’s Sophie Cullen with Aerodynamic, had problems in both jumping phases.

A pole down also proved costly for Newcastle Lyons’s Millie Dalton, who dropped from first to third on a total of 29 with Jubilee in the sole Under 12s’ class. Here, 12-year-old Molly Clarke moved up into the vacated top spot on the 18-year-old bay gelding Taylors Dicey Riley (27) with her clubmate Lucy O’Connell finishing second on the 11-year-old Connemara gelding Barravalley Maximus (28.5).

In the other two classes on Sunday, Shillelagh Branch member Sarah Ryan recorded an all-the-way success in the Junior B with the Connemara gelding Ballinaguilkey Rocco (26), an eight-year-old grey by Murvey Rocco. The Islands’ Georgia Kelly did likewise on 25.75 in the Intro Junior A with another eight-year-old Connemara gelding, Doireánn, a son of Rebel Mick.

It was a pity that this eventing qualifier clashed with the Area 5 Festival qualifier taking place on the same day at Ballindenisk, but it’s becoming more and more difficult for organisers to find a suitable date. Tomorrow, the Wexfords are hosting the second Red Mills qualifier at The Kennels, Ballinaboola, while the Laois are holding their Fun Minimus and Tetrathlon mainly at Stradbally Hall. Today, Area 1 are holding their Festival dressage and combined training qualifier at Marlton.