CAVAN Equestrian Centre was the venue for last weekend’s Balmoral qualifiers. Catherine Thornton dominated in the 1.35m class, taking the top-spot aboard Clovalent.

Bred by Mary McCann, the 11-year-old mare is by Valent out of Cruising May Clover (Cruising).

Seven of the 40 starters managed to produce a clear first round to progress to the jump-off. Time played a big factor in the results with six combinations collecting a single time fault, nine having one fence down and a further six having a fence down plus time faults to add.

First to go in the seven-way jump-off was Joyce Veld riding Miley Dunning’s Corraghoe Bounce (Lux Z x Cruising). One fence down with two to add for time let the rest of the field know the challenge this decider was presenting.

Second in was owner/breeder Joanne Sloan Allen’s WKD Balou Breeze (Balou Du Rouet x Cavalier Royale) with Sameh El Dahan in the saddle. They too had one fence down, but stayed within the time in 45.04 for eventual fourth place.

Next in was Jonathan Smyth and Ann Doherty’s Crystal Graf (Lux Z x Graf Magna) who eventually finished in fifth place with one fence down in 46.63.

Thornton was fourth in. She guided Clovalent to the first double clear in a time of 44.02 for the win. John Murray and Liz Murray’s Bukhara Cruise (Rehy High Society x Cruising) matched Thornton’s clear in a slightly slower time of 44.73 for third place.

Mr Rocky Blue (Chacoon Blue x Artos Z), bred by George McCullough, owned by Jonathan Reape and ridden by Paddy Reape, left all the fences intact in 44.48 to claim the runner-up spot.

Last to go in the decider was Katie Nallon riding Tara Brandon’s Luiboutain (Luidam x Captain Clover); they had one down in 47.93 which was good enough for sixth place.

Six/seven-year-old

Bob Sweeney’s six-year-old Aganix Summer Tokyo Drift (Aganix du Seigneur x Ladykiller de la Rubin), bred by Karen Mackenzie and ridden by junior rider Katie Nallon, won the six and seven-year-old 1.20m Balmoral qualifier. The pair stopped the clock in 29.08, the fastest of the 17 double clears in the two-phase class.

Nallon and Sweeney also took second place with another six-year-old, HESH Silver Lining (Tyson x Pacino), bred by John Murphy. They recorded a time of 29.45.

Martina McCrory’s seven-year-old home-bred OKE Dixieland Rock (Elvis Ter Putte x Cobra), ridden by Brendan Murphy, finished third in 30.01.

Shane Quinn and the Susan Malee owned and bred six-year-old stallion Carrabeg The Full Irish (Ardcolm Duke x Flexabill) crossed the finish in 30.46 for fourth.

Smyth and his second mount, Shannon Mackenzie’s Dutch-bred mare Onami SS, finished fifth, while Brendan Murphy and OSH Shirsheen (Corporal VDL x Zavall VDL) took sixth.