THE Cavan Indoor Amateur Championships is always a popular fixture on the calendar and 2016 proved to be another bumper weekend for the show, with large crowds coming to contest the National Amateur Championship.
With the national championship decided over the two days’ results, with the same horse and rider combination, every placing counted making for some competitive classes. In the end, Lisa Doyle was crowned as National Amateur Champion after her numerous accumulated results with Corland’s Clipper. Doyle was awarded an equine solarium, sponsored by Silver Shadow Solariums.
Saturday morning’s Ballyglass Ginger Welcome Stakes, worth €500 in prizes, saw 84 starters contest the speed class. Gary Graham took the opening victory in the A section with the Barnaby Flight-sired Kilfane Inspirition when setting an unbeatable standard of a clear round in 49.68 seconds. Graham was over two seconds clear of his nearest rival Grace Carlisle.
Carlisle had come home in 51.65 with the 10-year-old Welcome Flagmount-sired Flagmount Heir. Denise Hanrahan proved next fastest with Gloster Aphrodite, across the line in 54.35.
The times got progressively faster in the AA section with Dean Cotton coming home in a blisteringly fast time of 41.68 to clinch the win aboard his own Coolda Castaway. Cavan EC has been a happy hunting ground for Cotton with the Co. Tyrone rider also enjoying a successful show at the Summer Championships.
No-one could quite come within striking distance of this time with the runner-up, Sara Gorman, trailing behind Cotton by nearly five seconds. Gorman was paired with the 12-year-old Ard VDL Douglas-sired Take A Gamble, stopping the clock at 46.09.
Lisa Doyle was just off this pace with Clippers Corland and put her first points on the board for her eventual National Champion title when breaking the beam in 46.76.
The Cavan Indoor Derby saw 107 combinations line out to take on Stuart Clarke’s testing course. Sponsored by Schockemohle Sports GmbH, there was €700 in prizes on offer for the top five in each section.
Samantha Heaney made an impressive derby debut with Lady Mumbai triumphing in the A section. A decisive win, Heaney came home with time to spare when the clock showed 30.77.
This is Heaney’s first season to contest the amateurs and she has not only enjoyed success in the showjumping ring with the seven-year-old Creggan Emperor-sired Lady Mumbai but has also featured in several events.
Caoimhe Delaney secured the runner-up position with a faultless round aboard Daring To Dream in 31.50, while Jennifer Gregg and Lynnwin Lady took the yellow rosette when recording 33.88.
Joanna Penfold proved fastest to claim the top spot in the AA section. Partnering the 17-year-old Cruising-sired King Cruise, Penfold logged a time of 26.45. Penfold has had plenty of derby experience this season as the overall joint winner in the Horseware Derby League with her other mount Playtime Cruise, as well as taking third with King Cruise.
Penfold shared the honours in the league with Lisa Doyle and Corland’s Clipper. Doyle and the nine-year-old Corland-sired gelding were once again showcasing their derby skills when finishing third, completing their jump-off round in a time of 27.52.
Paul Carroll was only fractions behind Penfold to finish in second place in the line-up. Paired with Castleroche La Roche, Carroll was the only other rider to make it home inside the 27 second mark, recording 26.79.
Sunday morning got underway with the CWD Two Phase Challenge, worth €1,000 in prizes. Aisling McGrath emerged as the one to beat in the A section finding the shortest route home when the clock showed 26.48 with the 10-year-old Shannondale Sarco St Ghyvan Z mare Ti Amo Darcy.
Gary Graham again featured with Kilfane Inspirition but couldn’t quite produce the same show of speed that had seen him claim the opening class, settling for the blue rosette on this occasion with a time of 28.07.
Lynn Kelly was only a half second off this mark with her own seven-year-old Hold Up Premier-sired mare Donaghmore Dolly to secure third position in the line-up.
The times proved tight at the top of the AA section with only fractions separating the top three. Joanna Penfold however proved marginally fastest and took her second victory of the weekend this time aboard Playtime Cruise. Penfold steered the 10-year-old son of Cruising around in a very quick time of 23.73.
Aileen McDermott riding Kilcor Amber was right behind Penfold, finishing in 23.89 while Caroline Black made it home in 24.18 with Rathfilane Star.
The Kingsland Grand Prix offered not only a generous €3,000 worth of prizes but also the chance of qualification for the prestigious Amateur Autumn Series Final, to be held at Cavan International on Saturday, November 12th. The class attracted an accordingly high entry with 92 starting combinations.
Aisling Donoghue triumphed in the A section with a faultless performance in a time of 48.62 with Walmore Sport. Donoghue has only been competing the 16-year-old German-bred gelding from May of this season but the pair have gelled quickly with placings in the Dingo League and the Leddy League as well as taking a top eight finish in the Farmers Journal Final at the National Outdoor Amateur Championships.
Seamus Og Campbell supplied the only other double clear to take the runner-up position. Riding the Laughtons Flight-sired Killymard Flight, Campbell completed in 50.54. Gary Graham once again claimed a place in the line-up with Kilfane Inspirition. Putting in a superb effort against the clock, Graham recorded a time of 37.26 albeit with a single error.
Paul Carroll added another win to his already impressive resume when coming out in front in the AA section. Once again on board Castleroche La Roche, Carroll came home with time to spare when the clock read 38.43.
Carroll has been on form all season with the Padarco-sired gelding winning both Amateur classes at the Dublin Horse Show as well as the speed at Jumping in the City.
Karen Pearson made it closest to the leading time with her own Quantum Classic, recording 39.60 while Margaret Fullerton secured third place with Vinday across the line in 40.73.
Cavan EC’s Snaffles Bar also played host to the Amateur Awards on Saturday night. The Leddy League was won by Lorna Conroy (Lisbryan Ranger), while, as mentioned, Joanna Penfold (Playtime Cruise) and Lisa Doyle (Corland’s Clipper) were joint winners of the Horseware Derby League.
The Irish Farmers Journal final went to Darragh McMahon (Sunnyside Boy), with Sharon Ryan (Diamond Pierre) taking the Dingos Championship Final. The final accolade, the Amateur Classic Final, was awarded to Peter Brady Jnr (Hollymount Cruise Hill).