THE 2017 Equipet League in the North Eastern Region of the AIRC reached its conclusion last Sunday at the Castle Leslie Equestrian Centre, Glaslough where the resident club hosted the fifth and final leg of the series.
In spite of heavy showers, the show ran very smoothly thanks to the efforts of Castle Leslie members, while regional secretary Nathalie O’Hanrahan of the Dundalk club was on hand to keep an eye on the League results. The courses were built by Antrim’s David Nicholl with the judging duties split between Heather Camblin and Ann Friel.
The popularity and strength of show jumping among members of clubs in the northern half of the region was very evident throughout the day’s action – and the results. Only Cheval’s Roslyn Byrne broke their stranglehold on the League prizes and it was left to Drynam’s Bethan Williams to wrest one of the graded classes from their grasp on Sunday, both were competing at Advanced Primary level.
Although she had to settle for fourth in the final class of the series, Mullaghmore’s Coral Lovelys won the Primary league having accumulated 24 points with Blackjack. Both Castle Hill’s Anita McNamara (Ruby Cartier) and Mullaghmore’s Fiona McCarra (Murphy Your Man) finished the short season on 20 points but the former took second as she had higher placings over the five legs.
PRIMARY CLASS
On Sunday, the Primary class, judged per usual on optimum time, was won by Border Counties’ Nina Stronge riding the 21-year-old chesnut gelding Cloncaw Smartie with McNamara slotting into second with her eight-year-old homebred Connemara gelding by Walstead Cartier. Drynam’s Cathy Sayers finished third on her 13-year-old brown mare Lady Igraine.
Byrne scored a runaway victory for Cheval in the Advanced Primary league, picking up 29 points on the Connemara gelding Lishmar Yorkie, a six-year-old grey by Wings Of Justice. There was a 10-point gap back to Castle Hill’s Caitriona Kavanagh, who partnered another Connemara, the Glenayre Silver Fox seven-year-old Tirhomin Bouncer Lad, while Mullaghmore chairperson Charlene Sherry narrowly took third on 17 points with Big Bob.
Sherry also had to settle for third in Sunday’s Advanced Primary class behind the Drynam pair of Bethan Williams and the 15-year-old grey gelding Tuff Diamond and Ailish Carberry riding Broxie.
Castle Leslie’s Sheena Kerr completed the double at her home show, winning both the Intermediate class and league with her nine-year-old bay gelding Pegasus. In the class, Kerr’s nearest rival was her clubmate Julie McNally with Lahoran Lady, while Mullaghmore treasurer Peadar Sherry finished third on Bob The Warrior.
Kerr claimed the league with a very impressive 32 points, well clear of Dundalk’s Molly O’Connor Copas who amassed 22 points with the Connemara mare Shanbolard Heather, a 20-year-old grey by Annilaun Oscar.
On 20 points, Castle Leslie stalwart Meredith Jackson finished third with the 13-year-old VDL Arkansas mare Miss Arkansas.
LEAGUE HONOURS
The host club dominated the Advanced Intermediate class on Sunday with Eva McKenna topping the line-up on Lisbrogan Swatch, an eight-year-old bay mare by the Dutch thoroughbred Watermill Swatch. In spite of her hectic schedule, club and show secretary Sara Davis finished second on Railway Bar, while Stephen Martin placed third on the readily-recognisable palomino Butterscotch Major.
League honours went to Aaron Evans of the neighbouring Border Counties club, who accumulated 24 points with the homebred Killmarley Sunny Jim, a 10-year-old gelding by Hello Oscar.
By virtue of his higher placings earlier in the series, Boyneside’s Fintan Sullivan finished second on his veteran gelding The Sweeper, a 23-year-old chesnut gelding, ahead of Cheval’s Martin O’Brien and the 11-year-old Touchdown gelding Nuttys Touch.
Both riders completed the series on 19 points.
There was a bloodless victory for Evans’s clubmate Caroline McQuillan in Sunday’s open class as she was the only competitor with her nine-year-old Porsch gelding Foxtail Orchid.
This year, the NER committee decided to introduce height classes (from 60cms to, if requested, 1.10m) at all legs of the Equipet League and these proved very popular. Clear round rosettes were presented each week while riders with two clear rounds from the first four legs qualified for Sunday’s league finals which were timed.
There were few surprises as, again, local clubs dominated.
On her way to winning the Primary league, Mullaghmore’s Coral Lovelys landed the 60cms class with Blackjack; her clubmate Marese McCarra took the 70cms honours on her 15-year-old chesnut gelding Cecil; Castle Leslie’s Julie McNally won the 80cms division on Lahoran Lady, while the 90cms class went to Border Counties’ Aaron Evans riding Killmarley Sunny Jim.
FUND-RAISER
Among those who attended the show on Sunday was longtime Castle Leslie member and Eventing Ireland competitor Ann Bowe whose presence was two-fold.
Not only was she there to help her club in the running of the final leg of the Equipet League but she was also on a fund-raising mission.
To celebrate turning 60 this year in her own way, Ann will be running in the Virgin Money London Marathon on Sunday, April 23rd and is doing so to raise funds for World Horse Welfare.
You can assist her fund-raising efforts online at http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/AnnBowe.
Last year, six runners raised over £7,000 for the charity while eight participants donated almost £14,000 to the working horses and donkeys charity Brooke.
Tomorrow week, Sunday, March 12th, some members of the NER are availing of cross-country training clinics at Grange Farm with Sally Corscadden who, on Monday, was announced as Horse Sport Ireland’s senior high performance director of the Irish eventing team.
The clinics are supported by the AIRC regional training bursary.
A busy and varied spring/summer calendar in the region kicks off with the first of four legs of Cheval’s dressage league (which is open to all) at their club grounds in Jordanstown on Sunday, March 26th.
After the AIRC national hunter trials championships at Annaharvey Farm on Sunday, April 2nd, the dressage league resumes to be followed by the new combined training day at Kernans EC in Crossmaglen on Sunday, April 23rd and Ashbrook’s popular Derby Day at Killossery Lodge Stud seven days later.