TABITHA Kyle, a member of this year’s Junior Nations Cup-winning team in Hagen, Germany and subsequently selected for the FEI Junior European Championships, her first in the green jacket of Ireland, rode her father Mark’s Belgian-bred mare Ottani Z (Otterongo Alpha Z x Lord Z) to win the five-year-old Dublin Horse Show qualifier at Mullingar EC on Wednesday.

With 12 places on offer, the 96 starters had an early start with three rounds, the last one against the clock. Thirty-six combinations managed to stay fault-free in round one, 18 of these left all the poles in place through the second round to progress to the timed decider.

Just seven of the 18 lodged a clear third round and were guaranteed a ticket to Ballsbridge, so for another five, time would decide who got the places. By the end of the class, first place went to Kyle who broke the beams in a time of 33.96. Runner-up was Shane Dalton riding Ennisnag Stud’s Belgian-bred stallion Unicum - H in 34.29.

Shane Dalton also managed to claim third place aboard John Byrne’s home-bred Tangelos Touch (Tangelo Van De Zuuthoeve x Captain Clover) in 34.42. Fourth went to Jack Kent riding Castlefield Tycoon (Tyson x Lupicor) in 37.56. Owned by Martin Egan, he was bred by Sean Stafford.

Rhys Williams finished fifth aboard his family’s GLC Little Pleasure (For Pleasure x Untouchable 27), bred by Gareth Cassidy, in 37.69. Catherine Thornton rode her own and Patricia Kavanagh’s home-bred gelding Millonix (Echonix x Arko III) to sixth place in 40.85.

The only other triple clear was the Patrick Quinn-owned and bred mare Claremount Lal (Pilothago Tn x Amaretto Darco), ridden by Diarmuid Killeen, in 43.19.

The fastest four-faulter was James Hogg and Gilbert Fletcher’s home-bred gelding Hawkesbury Lad (Lithium V.S. x Touchdown), who took eighth place in 36.04. The remaining four places went to Eoin Brennan and the home-bred MHS Attraction; Robyn Moran and Fortside Farm’s Kilbrackan Stakatto; Timmy Brennan and Mayweather; and Jason Higgins with DJ Doyle.