THE AIRC South East Region RDS Team show jumping qualifier took place at Barnadown Showjumping on April 26th, hosted by Carne Riding Club and kindly sponsored by Premier Performance.

The course, designed by Felim O’Dowd, presented a challenging test throughout the afternoon, with 10 teams from across the region stepping up to compete.

The opening round proved demanding, yielding just 18 clear rounds from a total of 76 riders. These clear rounds became crucial as the competition progressed, with Coole Lane Red and Carne Riding Club emerging at the halfway stage in joint first place.

The second round brought further challenges, with only eight riders managing to maintain double clear performances. This left Coole Lane Red and Carne Riding Club in a close contest for the coveted qualification spot at the RDS Dublin Horse Show.

With both teams finishing on equal faults, the result ultimately came down to second-round times. Carne Riding Club secured victory by the narrowest of margins, finishing just four seconds ahead of Coole Lane Red.

The winning Carne team featured family members Albert Whitehead (Knocknacree Juno), his wife Lisa Whitehead (Miss Lady Candy Star) and their daughter Sophie (Ballyell Ellie). They were joined by fellow club member Abbey O’Driscoll (Caoranbeg Comanche), who played a key role in the team’s success and their qualification for the Dublin Horse Show.

Coole Lane Red also delivered a strong performance and have earned a place in the wildcard qualifier at the Riding Club Festival in June.

The AIRC South East Region extended its sincere thanks to Barnadown for the use of their excellent facilities, to Felim O’Dowd for course design, and to all volunteers whose efforts helped make the event a success.

National Championship qualifier

This year’s national show jumping qualifier took place at Barnadown, kindly hosted by Carne Riding Club. The competition featured two teams - Warrington Riding Club and Horetown Riding Club - who took on a demanding course designed by Felim O’Dowd.

Warrington Riding Club was represented by their 2025 team: Anne McGrath riding Mahanagh Heather, Josephine Britton on Mickey Joe, June McGrath with Dromore Chinook, and Joan Byrne aboard Nancys Boy.

Horetown Riding Club fielded a team consisting of Sandra Dalton on Strattonstown Banjo, Aoife Murphy riding Sailors Hill and Hazelle Neville on Cascade Kruser.

The opening round saw an impressive six clear rounds from the seven competitors, with Warrington taking the lead at the halfway stage.

In the second round, only three riders managed to add to their initial clear performances. Despite the increased difficulty, Warrington maintained their advantage and secured victory for the second consecutive year.

This success earns them a place in the team final at the National Show jumping Championships this July.

The AIRC South East Region would like to extend sincere thanks to Barnadown for the use of their outstanding facilities, to Felim O’Dowd for his course design, and to all the volunteers whose contributions ensured the event ran so successfully.