THE first of this year’s Young Eventhorse Series qualifiers was hosted on Tuesday by the Stevenson family at Tullylish, where they avoided the heavy rain which had those driving up from the south ringing to enquire if the organisers were going ahead with this season’s opener.

Competitors travelled from all around the country in a bid to get series points and to bag a ticket for the young event horse classes at Dublin, as they appeared before Sue Benson and Judy Bradwell (ridden display), Jean Mitchell (suitability and potential in the presentation phase) and Joanne Jarden (suitability and potential in the jumping phase). Wearing her show jumping judge’s hat, Dora Beacom totted up any jumping or time faults incurred.

“I had the pleasure of judging the dressage phase for the four and five-year-old horses at Tullylish where, in mostly beautiful sunshine, all the horses were presented immaculately and the overall standard was impressive,” commented Benson. “In both classes, I felt the level of basic training was an improvement on my previous visit two years ago. The quality of horse in both classes made for pleasurable judging and those that came out on top were exceptionally nice.

“These classes are a great incentive for riders to show they understand correct early training, whilst exposing their youngsters to the ‘outside’ world and giving them valuable experience. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit from Southern England to Northern Ireland!”

The young event horse classes were divided into two sections, but there were five winners as Co Down-based US international event rider Gillian Beale King split the spoils in Section B of the four-year-old class before winning Section A of the five-year-old class outright.

Her joint-winning four-year-old was the Lawrence Patterson-owned and bred Drumnaconnell Leroy (294.7 points), a brown Irish Sport Horse gelding by Jorado out of the Kings Master mare Kings Jewel, whose only other produce registered on CapallÓir is the 2016 Road To Happiness gelding Drumnaconnell Kobie (CC3*). Drumnaconnell Leroy finished fourth in his medium/heavyweight thee-year-old class at Dublin last year.

Beale King doubled up in Section A of the five-year-old qualifier on board the ISH gelding Coolboy Romeo (319.6), who comfortably held off his nearest rival, the Paul Donovan-owned, Sara Lundkvist-ridden ISH mare Sportsfield Firefly (314.7), who also bagged a ticket for Dublin. The winning Womanizer gelding was bred by Patrick English Junior out of Coolboy Quidam Dancer (by Crosstown Dancer).

Back in the day, the Smith brothers often delayed their bid for Dublin qualification but, with Tullylish right on their doorstep, it no longer makes sense to use those tactics, so Steven availed of Tuesday’s opportunity to snag a ticket in Section B of the five-year-old class with Sandra Hamilton’s Laganside (315.3).

The ISH gelding by Lagans OBOS Quality was bred out of her Beowulf mare Beo Diamond Lass by Janet Hall, a good friend of the bay’s owner and rider. He competed on the young event horse circuit last year when ridden by Johnny Mulligan.

Godfrey Gibbons also qualified with a son of Lagans OBOS Quality, Maurice Coleman’s Kilroe Gold (313.7), on whom he finished second in the five-year-old final of the Stepping Stones league. Here, a third ticket was on offer and it went to Caoimhe Foley riding Sean Kelly’s Imperial Hights gelding Ballynahia Hights (312.8).

Ciara Kinsella and Tykillen Dancer winning a section of Tullylish's four-year-old event horse Dublin qualifier \ Anne Hughes

Dancing to success

As the Association of Irish Riding Clubs are holding their annual two-day Festival in Mullingar this weekend, it’s timely that the joint-winner of Section B of the four-year-old class was the Irish Sport Horse mare Tykillen Dancer, who amassed 294.7 points under her Co Wexford owner/breeder Ciara Kinsella.

The chesnut daughter of Udancer Hero is the first foal Kinsella bred out of Skreenmor Dancer (by Crosstown Dancer), who she sadly lost last year. That 2006 mare, who was bred by Jim Tempany, was a half-sister to the Limmerick siblings Ridire Dorcha (CCI4*), Willows Dark Stranger (CCI3*) and Daenerys (CCI3*).

Skreenmor Dancer competed in show jumping and dressage at the 2012 AIRC Festival (and in many riding club competitions) under her previous owner, John Gavin, a member of Ashbrook, who also competed her briefly under Show Jumping Ireland rules. He bred five foals out of the mare (all colts) and, using his own prefix, competed her 2018 Contendro I gelding Holywell Contender with the AIRC (in dressage and eventing) and with both SJI and Dressage Ireland.

“Skreenmor Dancer wasn’t in foal when I bought her from John in 2021, but she immediately went in foal for me and this was the first one I bred out of her,” revealed Kinsella. “I have also retained her two-year-old gelding by Castlefield Conthargos (Tykillen Convincing). This filly did some of the Stepping Stones league and finished fourth in the final. She is the only one I have for these young event horse classes for this year.”

Having thought her youngsters a bit green, Daisy Duggan was delighted to top the scores in Section A with her ISH gelding Wild Heart (289.3), who she purchased from his breeder Maurice Sheridan. The bay is by the British Warmblood stallion EHS Land Ahoy, while his dam is the Lux Z mare Wild At Heart, a half-sister to the Je t’Aime Flamenco gelding The Secret/Secret Fernhill (CSI3*).

Luca Bortolamei qualified in second here with Carol Gee’s ISH gelding Lord Bailey (284.7), another son of Lagans OBOS Quality, as did Casey Webb in third with Julianne McLean’s ISH mare Beauty (283.9), a daughter of Diamond Roller.