THE Meadows Equestrian Centre proved to be a happy hunting ground for Tholm Keane as he landed the win in the penultimate round of TRM/Horseware New Heights Champion series at the Co Armagh venue’s Summer Championships.

Keane was clearly on form having taken the runner-up spot the day before in the SJI National Grand Prix. On both occasions, Keane was riding the James Buckley and Caroline Teltsch-owned eight-year-old stallion BMH Big Time (ISH). Keane also took fourth place with Caroline Teltsch’s Andiamix Hero Z in the 1.35m TRI & Baileys Summer Tour Grand Prix Final on Sunday.

Bred by Paula Abbey from Carlow, BMH Big Time is by Luidam out of the Cavalier Royale-sired mare Magestic Cavalier. This stallion has proved very consistent over the years in the aged classes and formed part of the Irish squad at the FEI World Breeding Jumping Championships for young horses at Lanaken in 2015 and 2016. The stallion’s full-brother, BMH Showtime, was campaigned by Edward Doyle up to Grand Prix level and on the international circuit up to 1.40m.

Keane said: “At the moment we are concentrating on producing the stallion, but the plan is to use him. He has great breeding lines and he has all the qualities that you look for in a stallion, for example scope, a good brain and good temperament for the job. It was always going to be a competitive class but this horse has plenty of scope so I knew that I could put a bit of pressure on him.

“He had gone well the day before so I knew we had every chance. Tom Holden did a great job and the venue was excellent. I would like to thank the owners and my sponsors, Mervue, who are always a great support.”

On Sunday, 26 combinations lined out to do battle in the TRM/Horseware New Heights Champion Series. Following a busy week at Dublin Horse Show, international course designer Tom Holden set the challenge.

From the original starters, the top 25% proceeded to the timed round and from those it was only Tholm Keane who delivered a double clear round. In the second round, the double, which came off the corner early in the course, caught a few out.

The other fence in the timed round that demanded careful attention was the optical verticle which followed a big oxer at eight.

Of those seven that contested the second round, three produced clear rounds, three incurred four faults and one had a single time fault.

First to go and carrying four faults, Hannah Patterson riding Daberlina M proved out of luck when they faulted at the first part of the double and then again at fence nine. Her time of 41.89 set the pace however and in the end, the young rider slotted into seventh place.

Co Down’s Dermott Lennon was double-handed in the jump-off, having delivered a clear with Vampire and carried four faults with Calgot Hero. He took to the track first with Calgot Hero and second time out, he made no such mistake. The combination’s four faults from the first round and crossing the line in the jump-off in a time of 47.70 saw him take the lead and then eventual fourth place.

First of the lady riders to take it on, Rebecca McGoldrick and Horatio Van Erpekom went into the second round carrying four faults. The pairing set off in a calculated pace but, like Patterson, she too faulted at the first part of the double. There was anxious moments when she rattled nine, the optical vertical, but with all the poles staying in place, she added an extra four faults to finish on a total of eight faults in a time of 42.16 for eventual sixth.

Next up, Stacey Babes was unlucky to incur a single time fault in the first round with Camillo VDL, but four faults at the first part of the double in the second round, in 49 seconds, proved good enough for fifth place.

All eyes were on Tholm Keane as he took to the course with BMH Big Time. Keane took a careful approach to the double, but a tight turn back from the penultimate oxer to the last oxer saw him set the new target of clear in 44.91 seconds.

Returning with his second mount, Vampire, Dermott Lennon proved out of luck when he faulted at the oxer at fence eight, but a quick time of 43.05 saw him take third place.

Placed third in the National Grand Prix the day before with Vimminka, Nicholas Butler was clearly looking to improve on this performance. Going into the second round with zero faults, Butler set off in a determined pace with Vimminka.

The mare handled the double well, but it was fence nine that caught her out. Butler’s experience showed as he kept the pressure on and crossed the line carrying a total of four faults in 41.25 for eventual second place.