FORMER European pony team silver medallist Olivia Roulston is making her mark in the senior ranks and her victory in last Sunday’s prestigious Cavan Crystal Hotel five-year-old Final in Cavan confirmed this.

Riding Lisa Rosbotham’s mare Miss Valent (Valent x John Henry), the 18-year-old saw off stiff competition in a nine-way jump-off to secure the win.

“We’re delighted with the result. This is my first year taking part in the class and my mare jumped super so we couldn’t be happier,” Roulston said following the win.

“I started riding her last March and we won the first Dublin qualifier during the summer. She is very fast over the ground and turns on a sixpence; it’s a bit like riding a little pony.

“The plan was to come in and win. There was no ‘going in for a clear’ here, I was confident she could win it.

“I rode her Daddy (the Dutch stallion Valent (Hors La Loi II x Lux Z)) to win the 1.30m young riders final in Dublin and we also just missed out on winning the 1.20m where we finished second in August.

Speaking about future plans, Roulston added: “My plan now is to hopefully do the five-year-olds here in Cavan in November and then next year to try to get good results in the horse board and Dublin six-year-old classes as well as try to earn a place in Lanaken.”

A start list of 38 combinations was reduced over two rounds to just nine for the timed decider. Thomas O’Brien was first to go riding his own Dutch-bred gelding Stoer (Silverstar x Concorde). They had the second fence down for four faults in a time of 34.06.

Catherine Thornton was second in with the Irish-bred mare Drumiller Sensation (Arko III x Puissance). They set the pace with a clear round in a time of 34.73 which would be good enough for eventual fourth place.

Kenneth Graham and the third place finisher in the 2016 four-year-old Dublin final Pacino Amiro (Pacino x NC Amiro) were next. They managed to leave all the fences up and in a faster time of 33.20 to capture the lead.

John Mulligan and Lough Seur Sarlady (Shannondale Sarco St Ghyvan x Able Albert) collected eight faults at the second part of the double and the last fence, before Shane Goggins and Bertram Allen’s Belgian-bred mare Emera Z then produced a clear round in a time of 35.23 for eventual fifth place.

Roulston was sixth to go. An accurate, sure-footed round which included an inside turn into the double at fence three, plus a brave eight strides to the final fence put them to the top of the class in a time of 31.90.

Olive Clarke matched Roulston’s clear aboard her mount, Gina Heaps’ mare Carrowgar Je T’Aime (Je T’Aime Flamenco x Coolcorran Cool Diamond), but were slower in 34.18 for eventual third place.

Daren Hopkins began well with Laura Burke’s gelding Galwaybay Sanchez, by Askoll Peter Pan. But an error at the second fence saw them collect four faults in a time of 40.08 to finish out of the placings.

Last to go was Peter Smyth riding Nigel Kenny’s mare Derrycastle Sensation (Cevin Z – Lux Z).

They had mistakes at fence two and the double which cost them the class, crossing the finishing line in a time of 31.74, which was the fastest time of the class but with eight faults to add.