THE Childeric arena at Barnadown hosted the RDS five-year-old qualifier last Wednesday week (June 24th), where 80 combinations took on the 1.20m course, designed by John Doyle. When asked about his approach to designing courses for the qualifiers, John said: “I believe it is important to be watching the horses during the year, so that you can design the courses according to the ability of the start list. With the ever-improving quality of both horses and riders, it’s important to have a fair and flowing course with time a little tighter than at regular shows.”
Out of the 80 starters, 31 combinations made it into the second round and 15 progressed to the third round against the clock. The course was raised to 1.25m for the jump-off, where 12 golden tickets were on offer. There were 12 triple clears in the jump-off and Castlefield riders were on top form, taking the top two places. Jason Foley on Castlefield Paris, owned and bred by Castlefield Breeding Farm, came out on top, when jumping triple clear in 43.32. The Castlefield Kingston bay mare edged ahead of Eoghan Fahy on Keatingstown Spirit, by Je T’Aime Flamenco, owned and bred by Sharon Fitzpatrick, who crossed the finish line clear in 43.69 - just 0.32 seconds behind Foley.
Podium placing
Leading young rider from the Connaught region, Paddy Reape, teamed up with Creevyquinn Amber by Diamant De Semilly, owned by Jonathon Reape, to complete the podium in third place. The Stephen Reilly-bred chesnut gelding, whose dam-sire is Tinkas Boy, cleared all the fences in 44.53. Eddie Moloney and his own home-bred Soco Flex were just pipped for the podium, returning home in a time of 44.76. The SHS Soco Blue chesnut gelding, out of a Flex A Bill mare, finished up in fourth place.
Less than a second separated fifth to eighth places, with Robyn Moran on Caroline O’Sullivan’s LWY Bronte taking fifth in a time of 45.16, the bay mare sired by Nixon Van’t Muelenhof. Abigail Boland was in great form on the day, taking both sixth and seventh places on her own horses, Elma Bo and Silverteal Mellow. Elma Bo, by SHS Soco Blue, bred by Jack Ryan, took sixth in 45.87 and Silverteal Mellow, who is by Satisfaction and bred by Paschal McCarthy, took seventh in 45.98.
Coen Williams completed the top eight, when partnering Williams Sport Horses’ GLC Mr President, the Conthargos bay gelding earning their golden ticket in 46.10. Rich and Royal, the 2025 four-year-old champion at the RDS, was next to stamp his ticket under Harry Wood, the Mumbai Van De Meerhoeve stallion leaving all the fences standing in a time of 47.21 to take ninth place.
The final three tickets were taken by Shane Kenny with Chie Ishibashi’s Ella Diva NN Z [Eldorado Van De Zeshoek] placing 11th in 48.35, while Lauren Adams and Ballypatrick’s Freestone Barolo [Tyson] took 12th in 49.32. Eoghan Fahy and Jules Cournane’s Corlina Dw Z [Chacco Blue] finished 10th, but with Eoghan’s quota filled already, fastest four-faulter Taylor Cummins took the final golden ticket with her own Berkleys Juno [Grandorado Tn] in 47.71.
Coen Williams and PARC Kesha WSH, winners of the Six-Yyear-old RDS Horse qualifier at Barnadown \ Claire Nolan jumpinaction.net
Williams wins
The Childeric arena also hosted the six-year-old qualifier over three rounds, with the third round against the clock to find out who would take the 12 golden tickets on offer. Sixty-six combinations took on the John Doyle-designed 1.30m course, with 26 combinations moving on to the second round and 17 of those going against the clock in round three.
It was the turn of young riders to take centre stage, filling the top two placings. Coen Williams, from the Munster region, came out on top with the Williams Sport Horses PARC Kesha WSH, delivering a triple clear in 43.91. The Kannan mare, who is out of a Canturano mare, was bred by David Williams and has been in great form this year. After the win, Adrian Williams of Williams Sport Horses, told The Irish Field: “Kesha was been very consistent, going clear in all the studbook classes this year. We think a lot of her and fingers crossed she will be competitive in Dublin.”
2025 double European Junior champion Emily Moloney, now in the young rider ranks, partnered Miriam Moloney’s Ukina, sired by Connor 100306, to a triple clear in 44.90 to take second place. Emily’s dad Eddie said of Ukina: “She is a new mare to the string, who was purchased in March in Belgium. She has been in very good form, jumping clear at the Grand Prix show at Barnadown in May and looks to have a big future ahead of her. We are very excited for the RDS in August.”
Oisin Aylward was next in line to complete the podium with Sheila Aylward’s Paraldine D, the Liamant W mare, out of a Zirocco Blue VDL-sired dam, leaving all the jumps in place to break the finish beam in 45.19. Seamus Hughes Kennedy was next to seal his golden ticket with Cookstown Luidam, bred by Donal Callery. The Racecourse Farm Ltd bay gelding by Luidam came home with a triple clear in 46.22. Munster man Liam O’Meara with his own Maxi JJ, bred by Jackson Goulding, made the top five when partnering the Sir Jim Jim gelding to a triple clear in 46.97.
Harry Wood added two more horses to his growing string for Dublin, when taking sixth with Boleybawn Horses’ Boleybawn Alexa [Grandorado Tn], clear in 47.03, and eighth with Matt Calderwood and GBBS Int Ltd’s MHS Mix De Blues [Aganix Du Seigneur], clear in 49.13. Kilkenny young rider Timmy Brennan split Wood’s two horses, when partnering Tim Brennan’s Mayweather [Aganix Du Seigneur] to a triple clear in 48.41. The four remaining coveted golden tickets were claimed by Diarmuid Killeen with Patrick Quinn’s Claremont Lal [Pilothago Tn] in ninth, with a clear in 49.62; Ethen Ahearne with BT Stables Ltd’s Ogue BT Grandato [Grandorado Tn] 10th and clear in 49.99; Evie Quirke with Judy Quirke’s Pearl Grey Gph [For Treasure] took 11th when clear jumping but with one time fault in 50.66; and Jack Ryan with John Ryan’s Galwaybay Jim [Catoki] taking 12th, also jumping clear with one time fault in 50.67.