JAG Equestrian Centre, Co Kildare, hosted a leg of the TRI Equestrian Interschools League last Sunday.

The course build by JAG’s Julieanne Gaffney proved very technical with only three teams making it to the jump-off in the open teams competition.

The Newbridge College black team, with Caragh Sweeney (Kippure Steepleview Jack), Leah Heffernan (My Rockstown Two), Niamh Flinter (Classie Lass) and Max Ross (Ballydavid Souz), took the win in a time of 62.54 seconds over Good Counsel’s Oisin Aylward (Barravalley Jack), Killian Murphy (Killone Leo), Ruairi Aylward (Coppenagh Jack Sparrow) and Jack Ryan (Deerpark Superman) in a time of 69.25. The Newbridge College white team of Niamh Behan (Mullaballoo), Lucy Ross (Littlefield Clover), Conor Cassidy (Gucci Lady) and Ivanna Dempsey (Rosemarie Rebel) took third place with their time of 75.64.

The open individual saw large entries and proved very exciting. Newbridge College took five of the first six places with the Ross family taking first to third with Lucy Ross winning first place, her cousin Max Ross taking second and sister Leah Ross taking third place. Fourth place was won by Borris Vocational’s Patrick Doyle with fifth place going to Leah Heffernan and sixth to Niamh Behan, both of Newbridge College.

JAG Equestrian also hosted one of the HSI 1.10m qualifiers which was again dominated by a member of the Ross family with Jack Ross taking first place in a time of 30.53 on his horse Pembroke Flight. Second place went to Good Counsel’s Ruairi Alyward on his horse Oliver Twist in a time of 36.39.

The novice team competition had the largest number of entries on the day. St Ciaran’s Community College, Kells, was the clear winner keeping all the poles up with only three team members, Eoghan Finegan, Paddy Finegan and Nadine Dunne.

East Glendalough completely dominated the novice individuals with riders, Cuan Sloane-Kelly, Robert Cherry, Jazmine Arthur, Sophie Bohn-Healy who came first to fourth.

The primary teams competition was won by the combined team of Scoil Phadraig Clane and Abbeyleix South with riders James Dempsey, Cain O’Connor, Launa McCann and John Floor. James Dempsey went on to win the primary individuals in style.

The next leg of the TRI Equestrian Interschools League will take place on Sunday, November 5th in the Wexford Equestrian Centre and will be hosted by Loreto Wexford.

This competition will be run by the transition students in aid of the MRI scanner for Wexford General Hospital, with kind permission of Orla Roche of Wexford EC.