David Abbott

MOYGLARE Riding Club will make an appearance at the Horseware Team Show Jumping Championship in August for the first time in the clubs history after a three-way jump-off against Carne and Greenvalley at the Riding Clubs Festival last Saturday.

Eight teams lined out in the TRI Equestrian-sponsored main show jumping arena at Stradbally for the wild card decider where the runners up at each regional qualifier had a second shot at qualifying for the Dublin Horse Show.

Three teams were level on zero after the opening round over James Tarrant’s track.

Benbulben, Earl’s Well and Mosstown were next best on four penalties while Ashbrook and Mill Road were further back on eight penalties a piece.

In the second round, Benbulben dropped out of contention after they racked up eight penalties to finish on a total of 12.

Ashbrook added nothing to their opening tally to finish in sixth place on eight penalties. The Dublin-based club was level with Mosstown but the Longford clubs accumulated time was faster in the second round to leave them in fifth overall.

Earls Well also had nothing to add to their opening tally of four penalties to claim fourth place while Carne, Greenvalley and Moyglare maintained the pressure in the second round to force a three-way jump-off.

Greenvalley’s Chloe Daly was first to take on the challenge on Bagheara but returned with two fences on the floor in a time of 42.55.

Moyglare’s Jessica Smyth was next in and set a blistering target of 35.31 on Something Different with all fences standing while last to jump, Lisa Whitehead gave it everything on Ballyell Little Jim but the Carne rider came home just short of the target in a time of 35.94 which left Moyglare the victors on this occasion.

Smyth said afterwards: “I was nervous when the jump-off course was announced but I knew I had to go for broke. There were some long lines across the track where my best bet was to keep the pace up and turn as tight as I could without losing control and my mare jumped so well.

“It was a team effort and we had a couple of hairy moments over what was quite a technical course but no one on the team let that get in the way of our determination to win,” she added.

The team of Marie Dunne (Belle), Sarah Farnan (Black Shade), Zazel McCarthy (Knock On Jake) along with team captain Jessica Smyth (Something Different) will contest the final at the Dublin Horse Show in August against teams from Clonshire, Donegal Gaeltacht, Highland Lodge, Hollybrook, Killossery, Mo Chara, Thomastown and District and Winterdown.