LAKELANDS’ Michelle Flynn took particular delight in winning the Equipeople AIRC RC70 championship at Killossery Lodge Stud last Sunday as she did so on her home-bred Irish Sport Horse gelding Nadreegeel Oscar.

There were 34 starters in this lowest-graded championship but 13 failed to complete. One horse was withdrawn after dressage, two were eliminated over the coloured poles while the remaining nine, five of whom were carrying show jumping penalties, ran into a variety of problems over the Ciaran Glynn-designed cross-country track.

Flynn meanwhile recorded one of only three double clears inside the time to top the final leaderboard on Nadreegeel Oscar (35) ahead of Thomastown and District’s Rachel O’Connell who, likewise, completed on her dressage score with the ISH gelding DHF Chillout George (35.8), a 16-year-old grey by Chillout. Stracomer’s Eilish Calgie finished third on the 11-year-old black gelding Bibi Scrabo Blaze whose total of 35.5 included four show jumping penalties.

The Treo Eile-sponsored prize of a training bursary and a rug for the highest-placed thoroughbred was presented to Killcarrick’s Lisa Rogers who finished ninth on the 11-year-old Dragon Pulse gelding Big Cheyz (53.2).

“I thought the cross-country was a very good course,” said the delighted winning rider. “After all the rain, it was a bit slippery going downhill and on the turns, but I just took it handy at those sections of the track.”

Married to the non-horsey Jim McEvoy and mother of football-loving daughters Iris and Verity, Flynn, a secondary school Business teacher bred Nadreegeel Oscar (by Hello Oscar) out of the Flagmount Diamond mare Claremount Oscar. She used to compete the grey at 80cm and 90cm with Showjumping Ireland but, having had to take time off work and out of the saddle when diagnosed with Lymes Disease, she decided to join Lakelands four years ago and is enjoying competing in Riding Club company.

She has one gripe. “I wish there were more Riding Club one-day events,” said Flynn who trains with Lisa Kane through the club and also with David Trenier and Linda O’Reilly. However, she had a busy enough summer as she attended the AIRC Festival for the first time this year and also rode at the Dublin Horse Show, finishing ninth in the middle/heavyweight sportsmans hunter class. She is now eyeing up the Grassroots jump training series.

Flynn is looking forward to competing next year with Nadreegeel Let Roar, a six-year-old Let The Lion Roar gelding out of Oscar’s Hermes de Reve half-sister Nadreegeel Hermes Diamond. “I try to breed something I can ride myself,” revealed Flynn, “and Annemarie Kelly breaks them all for me at her Kellykeen Stables.”