IT’s not too unusual in Riding Club competitions to see an all-female squad win a team competition but the Castle Hill quartet who claimed the first qualifying ticket on offer at Killossery Lodge Stud on Saturday did so on board four mares.

The Boyneside and Copperfield clubs hosted this qualifier for next month’s Connolly’s Red Mills national dressage championships on a very hot day when the 38 riders performed two championship tests apiece; they didn’t have to wear their show jackets.

The organisers, particularly Sarah Richardson (Boyneside) and Jane Whitaker (Copperfield), did all they could to help riders in the heat. They timed both tests within 50 minutes of each other, urged competitors to keep themselves and their horses hydrated, got the results out as soon as possible and, where practical, encouraged riders to drop their horses home and come back for the team presentations.

Two of the Castle Hill quartet landed their individual classes on their way to a team total of 424.25.

Grading officer Niamh Murphy recorded a comfortable victory in the RCP3 on the Oldenburg mare Daisy Duke (144.25), a nine-year-old bay by Top Gear. Waterford’s Fidelma Curran finished second with her 19-year-old bay gelding Ballyadam Philip (138.80).

Any time we can mention the wonderful Cloncaw Smartie in a report we do so, having been pleased to see Geraldine Bellew’s beloved 29-year-old gelding being partnered into third (136.32) in this 13-runner class by Border Counties’ Jennifer Coles.

Castle Hill also struck in the 17-runner RCP2 through club PRO Sarah Quinn riding the 11-year-old skewbald mare MLHR Aisling (142.12), who she competes in Riding Club show jumping. Her teammate, Rebecca Matthews, finished fourth with another skewbald mare, the nine-year-old Benvarden Dakota (137.88), while the fourth team member, Eithne O’Hanrahan, was seventh on her piebald mare Miss Milltown Suzie (132.72), a seven-year-old daughter of Cool Diamond Star.

First and second were divided by Drynam’s Cathy Sayers on Alderbrook Maxima (140.19) and Mullaghmore’s Lisa O’Gorman with Emma’s Blue Ruby (139.24).

Somers win

Just two combinations competed in the opening RCE where the honours were claimed by Kilronan’s grading officer, Louise Somers, riding her Irish Draught gelding Indian Mist (133.34), a Cappa Cochise 16-year-old.

Ashbrook treasurer Helena Fitzgerald recorded an uncontested victory in the RCN on her Irish Sport Horse mare Ballymacague Swallow (133.61), a 15-year-old bay by Togher Lad. Drynam’s Melissa Callan topped the leaderboard in the RCP1 on board the ISH mare KEC Cloudz (137.98), a 17-year-old daughter of Chacoa.

As six squads started in the team competition, the Drynam foursome of Emma Fristedt (Drynam Golden Prince), Cathy Sayers (Alderbrook Maxima), Laura Reynolds (Barryswell Rachet) and Louise Kavanagh (Fred Showtime) who finished second on 409.81, have also qualified for next month’s national championships in Mullingar Equestrian Centre.