WARRINGTON’s Claire Coonan claimed the honours in the RC90 championship on Sunday at Nuenna Farm where, postponed from early April, the Association of Irish Riding Clubs held their Connolly’s Red Mills-sponsored national hunter trials championships.

In a 35-runner class where there was an optimum time of 5min 40sec, Coonan stopped the clock on 5.38 with her 15-year-old grey mare Lamogue Lady. Mill Road secretary Emma Meagher slotted into second (5.37) with her 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Rulahisu Romeo, a bay son of the Connemara stallion Josie Jump, while Clonshire’s Claudia Culloty finished third (5.46) on board the ISH mare Deedoora Uisce, a nine-year-old skewbald by Dooratown Hallo.

“We bought Lamogue Lady, stable name Lexi, in 2020 for my mam, but I just fell in love with her,” Coonan told the Irish Horse World. “She mightn’t be the flashiest or the scopiest, but she has always tried her best for me. We are coached by Amy Kinane, who has helped us so much as a partnership!

“We have dabbled in Eventing Ireland and are very active members in the Warrington Riding Club and she was on the winning team for the south east dressage qualifiers earlier this year. I thought the course was well put together - it had some technical challenges, but was fair to each level. We even managed to dodge the rain!”

The preceding RC90 open pairs was won comfortably by Mill Road’s Katelyn Young and Jennifer Denny, who were home just a second under the optimum time, while the second-placed mixed pairing of Coole Lane’s Ciara Shannon (Browneshill Barney) and Thomastown and District’s Sinead Codd (IHWT Hero) picked up 49 time penalties.

Young rode the thoroughbred gelding Alex D (Oasis Dream - Archive, by Dansili), who she also competes with Show Jumping Ireland and previously campaigned at EI90 (Amateur) level with Eventing Ireland. Young and the eight-year-old bay, who won once and was placed twice in 19 outings on the flat and seven over hurdles between early June 2020 and mid-September 2023, were on the Mill Road team who competed in the AIRC show jumping championship at the Gallagher Dublin Horse Show in August.

Denny was on board the six-year-old home-bred ISH mare Wild Duchess (Killea Hill View - Shadow Risk, by Tagula), who she mainly competes in show jumping with the AIRC.