HAVING come through Regional qualifiers, 17 squads vied for the team title at the Connolly’s Red Mills/Association of Irish Riding Clubs’ dressage championships, which were held at the midlands venue of the Mullingar Equestrian Centre in mid-August.

There was a very close result between the winning Hollybrook quartet of Helen Walsh (Belline Princess India), Joanne Logue (Little Lottie), Roisin McMackin (Courcel Queen Bee) and Amanda MacGowan (Calliaghstown Flight), who recorded a combined score of 418.55, and Tara Hill’s Jemma King, Jane Brady, Damien McCormack and Chris Carter, who had to settle for the reserve slot on 418.488.

Many AIRC members also compete under Dressage Ireland rules and two such are Foxborough’s Siofra Pratt and Hollybrook’s Joanne Logue. The former won the AIRC’s Medium championship on board Ballarin My Grace, with Logue claiming the RC Elementary title riding Little Lottie. Foxborough bagged a second title when Louise Lynn topped the scores in the RC Novice championship on board the 2014 Badminton winner, Paulank Brockagh.

The Preliminary titles went the way of Knocknamana County’s Stephanie Marwood on Kylard Bruce (RCP3), Killcarrick’s Louise Byrne riding Slyvester 2 (RCP2) and Greenvalley’s Ruth Malocca on CCS Banksy Moon (RCP1).

In early June, The Irish Field once again sponsored the dressage section of the AIRC’s annual two-day Festival at Mullingar, where there were classes for all grades, and ages, of both horses and riders. The Twinfort trio of Ann Glynn (Shanaclough Seattle), Owen Smyth (Dark Site) and Tara Dalton (Burgomistr) claimed the honours in Saturday’s teams of three competition.

Dressage is popular among Riding Club members, with competitions and leagues regularly being staged at Club and Regional level while clinics and training are often advertised.