SUNDAY afternoon in Balmoral Park saw 46 combinations line out to contest the £25,000 Bottle Green-sponsored Plusvital Premier Series.

Clinching the fifth round of the series was Mickey Pender aboard his own Madgeslane Louis. Bred by Pender, the nine-year-old gelding is by Luidam and is out of the OBOS Quality-sired dam Madges Lane Karol. This was the first show for this combination on home soil. The pairing has been jumping on the European circuit and took fourth place in the 1.45m in Hickstead in mid-June.

Speaking afterwards Pender said: “It’s never easy going first in the jump-off, and it doesn’t always go your way, but thankfully it did. He is a very talented horse, and I am very excited about the future. This horse is a homebred and it makes it even more special. He was placed in Hickstead and in a class in the Global Champions in Monaco. This is his second year to win in Balmoral and he is a horse with a lot of talent and the future looks good.

“His full brother (the eight-year-old stallion Madgeslane Luidam) was also jumping in Balmoral and did well. I jumped him in Dublin as a five-year-old and he finished second. He has offspring jumping this year in the four-year-olds in Dublin. It’s good to see the breeding line take off.”

It was an important week for riders at the level, as the top two athlete and horse combinations in five of the six Plusvital Premier Grand Prix Series shows - Barnadown, Mullingar, Cavan Equestrian, Maryville Stables, National Balmoral and Tattersalls Ireland July Show - will be invited by the organising committee to compete as Irish individual athletes at the Dublin Horse Show. Just after the round in National Balmoral, the leaderboard is very close, with Clem McMahon (Carneyhaugh Unison), Francis Derwin (Flexi K) and Jason Foley (Cute Face) all on 18 points, while Jack Ryan and Calgrafi DWB trail slightly on 15 points.

The round in National Balmoral saw seven combinations proceed to the second round, while one was denied a place due to a single time fault and nine lowered a pole in the first round.

First to go against the clock, Mikey Pender wasted no time with Madgeslane Louis. He negotiated a good turn back to fence three and then got a nice shot to the double (vertical oxer). He especially made up the time in the very tight turn back from fence six to the penultimate oxer, clocking 45.50 seconds.

Francis Derwin and Flexi K added valuable points to their tally, delivering the only other double clear in 47.05 seconds. Bred by Knightfield Stud, this 12-year-old gelding is by Flexabill and out of the Luidam-sired dam Deeply Dippy. This combination took fourth place in the round at Cavan and sixth in Mullingar.

Harry Wood was ruled out of contention early when faulting at the first with Ballypatrick-owned BP Goodfellas, but their time of 45.58 saw them take third. This nine-year-old gelding was bred by Kevin Babington and is by Stakkato Gold and out of the OBOS Quality-sired dam Goodwinds Loyalty.

Niamh McEvoy also had one on the ground with the Ballypatrick-owned Rock N Roll, knocking the back bar of the oxer in the double, but in a slower time of 46.04 for fourth. This nine-year-old Belgian Warmblood stallion is by Diamant De Semilly and is out of the Darco-sired dam Ukase Ter Putte. This stallion is a full-brother to Elvis Ter Putte as well as being a half-brother to EIS Isaura.

Jack Ryan and DSH Lucky Junior lodged the fastest time of the class, clocking 43.84, but it came at a price as he had fence six and the last down and. as a result, slotted into fifth place. Bred by Seamus Drea, the 10-year-old gelding is by BBS McGregor and is out of the Luidam-sired dam Dshlyi.

Dermott Lennon and Kinmar Right on Time also finished on eight faults, faulting at the oxer at three and the second part of the double in a time of 46.12 for sixth. Owned by Lennon and the gelding’s breeder, the nine-year-old is by Aganix Di Seigneur and is out of the Unk- sired dam Kinmar Dancing Queen.

Lt Ruari Clarke and Bonmahon Beach, completed the second round on 15 faults in 61.56 for seventh. Owned by the Minister of Defence and bred by Richard Fitzgerald the 11-year-old gelding is by Emerald Van Ruytershof and is out of the Temple Clover-sired dam Bonmahon Tanya. This gelding was previously owned by Olivia Roycroft who competed him in the age classes.