THE Killinicks held their usual mid-week Connolly’s Red Mills/Irish Pony Club eventing qualifier last Wednesday week at Sleedagh where Eja and Seren Ward were on hand to present the Dawn Ward cup to Maisy Mooney, the highest-placed Branch member in the Under 12s competiton.

The hosts were represented by two winners on the day, starting in the Intro Intermediate where nine of the 31 combinations failed to complete while the dressage winners on 22 penalties, the Islands’ Lauren Spencer and Tarbert Island, were withdrawn following their clear show jumping round.

Comeback

Only sixth at this stage, the Killincks’ Niamh Ryan ended up claiming the honours when completing on her dressage score (29) with the unraced thoroughbred ‘Rua’, a nine-year-old gelding by Fruits Of Love out of the Presenting mare Wizzy who was also unraced. The Islands’ Ellie O’Connor finished second on her first phase score with Grove Street Lady (30.5).

Ten of the 26 starters were eliminated across the country in the opening Intermediate where the Kildares’ Gloria Queally was left in front to win on her flat work mark of 22.75 with the nine-year-old Connemara mare Glenrock Lisa (Coosheen Stormboy – Glenrock Robyn, by Frederiksminde Hazy Match) who she also competes successfully with Eventing Ireland.

Queally’s sister Eliza-Jane is due to compete Rachel Brew and Eftim Ivanoff’s grey in the older Connemara performance hunter class at the upcoming Gallagher Dublin Horse Show.

A pole down show jumping and 2.4 cross-country time penalties resulted in the dressage winners, Bray Branch member Charlotte Smith and Brightside, dropping to fourth on a total of 27.9.

Junior class

The Killinick double came up in Section C of the Junior class thanks to the efforts of Shannon Griffith who completed on her winning first phase score on board the 10-year-old British-bred Welsh gelding W.N.D.A. Toby (28.25).

This was another well-filled class as was Section A, which was won in similar fashion by Shillelagh’s Laragh Louise Molloy on the 17-year-old grey mare HB Miss Kizzy (28.25), and Section B where Newcastle Lyons member Lucy Flynn claimed the honours on her impressive dressage score (17.75) with the 12-year-old bay gelding Rock Houdini.The Island Branch received some compensation for those earlier misses when Georgia Kelly recorded an all-the-way win in the 25-runner Intro Junior riding the eight-year-old Connemara mare Doireánn (Rebel Mick – Roundpark Dorothea, by Earl Of Castlefrench) who she competes at EI80 level with Eventing Ireland.

Section A

The winner of Section A of the Under 12s’ class was North Kilkenny’s Nancy Lyons Teehan who made all to win on board the Connemara gelding Buachaill Buí (Templebready Fear Bui – Golden Bee, by Glaskopf Golden Siskin). On Sunday, Lyons Teehan’s mother Louise won the Connemara working hunter class at the Wicklow Show in Barnadown on the cremello seven-year-old who she will also partner in the younger Connemara performance hunter class at Dublin.

The Shillelagh Branch recorded a second success at Sleedagh in Section B of the Under 12s class where Jimmy Byrne led from start to finish on 22 penalties with the 19-year-old Connemara mare Liath Beag (Frederiksminde Hazy Move On – Uisce Beatha, by Wings Of Victory).