THE concluding winners of three race at the Limerick Foxhounds’ point-to-point at Rathcannon on Sunday was won by the Sam Curling-owned and trained Longhouse Star on whom Nicole Lockhead Anderson recorded her first win in the racing sphere.

The Scottish native was a very successful young show jumper with 19 pages of results on the FEI database. She was on the British gold medal-winning team at the 2018 European pony championships on Gangnam Style II (later the ride of Ireland’s Tabitha Kyle) and on the bronze medal-winning team at the 2023 Young Rider championships with Chatondo.

The now 23-year-old went on to compete at 5* level with one of her last rides being in the UNEX Group speed classic at the CSIO5* Hickstead international in July 2024 when, with a pole down, she finished third on Madagascar Dwerse Hagen.

“I rode a lot of Irish-bred horses during my time show jumping and competed in the home pony international at Cavan back in 2012,” said Nicole, who took up pointing when working in Kent. She had 11 rides between January 2023 and May 2024 for Co Cork native David Phelan who put her in touch with Sam Curling whose yard she joined just over a year ago.

Curling obviously likes to employ riders from other equestrian disciplines at his Goolds Cross yard as Longhouse Star’s previous three wins came in the hands of international event rider Toni Quail, the reigning champion lady point-to-point rider who is currently sidelined through injury.