Star of the Month winner

CONGRATULATIONS to Co Meath international event rider Sarah Ennis who was voted the Gain Equine Nutrition/The Irish Field Star of the Month for May. Well done Sarah!

Rankin joins Karlswood Stables

OMAGH show jumper Jenny Rankin has taken up a new role at Cian O’Connor’s stable. The 23-year-old has had huge success in recent years with Richard and Deirdre Bourns at Bourns Sport Horses. She was a member of the back-to-back winning Nations Cup teams in Drammen and Uggerhalne aboard Benny’s Legacy earlier this season. She joins O’Connor’s yard to help develop his young horses.

O’Connor welcomed Dalvaro 2 to his string of horses last week. Under Dutchman Kevin Olsmeyer, the 11-year-old gelding jumped a clear second round in the five-star Nations Cup of Rome at the end of May.

Dressage pony team

MARTHA Jobling Purser (Valido’s Starlight) and Sadhbh O’Toole (Maverick S) will travel to the FEI European Dressage Championships for Ponies, taking place at at Strzegom in Poland next month. Speaking after the announcement, Anne Marie Dunphy, Horse Sport Ireland Pony Dressage Team Manager said: “This year, as our pony dressage squad is in a transition period, I am taking two individuals to Strezegon. Both Martha and Sadhbh have performed well showing continuous improvement throughout the selection period both at home and in Europe.”

Camphire goes global

A RECORD for any Irish international Horse Trials has been set by Camphire. The Sema Lease Camphire International Horse Trials and Country Fair which takes place from July 24th – 28th will host a record number of nations with 16 different nations represented at the event from as far afield as China, Japan and New Zealand as well as from European nations.

What’s more, all family members, equine interested or not, will find plenty of action over the weekend from boat trips on the Blackwater to birds of prey, bouncy castle and bubbles for the kids as well as the delights of the artisan food and craft stalls in the Country Fair. Canine members of the family too will have fun in the Gain charity dog show in aid of My Canine Companion on Sunday, July 28th.

More information and tickets at www.camphirehorsetrials.com

Irish dressage team

IRISH dressage history will be made next week when a team of three females - Judy Reynolds (Vancouver K), Heike Holstein (Sambuca) and Anna Merveldt (Esporim) - will compete in the CDIO5* Nations’ Cup in Aachen, Germany. This will be the first time since 2014 that Ireland has fielded a dressage team at senior level.

“This is very significant for Ireland on the international dressage scene and for Dressage Ireland as we have never before been invited to send a team to Aachen,” said Gillian Kyle, chairman of the Board of DI and chef d’equipe for the Nations’ Cup team. “We are very grateful for the support we are getting from Horse Sport Ireland and Dubarry of Ireland.”

Showing masterclass

CONNOLLY’s Red Mills and Showing Ireland are hosting a showing masterclass on the evening of Saturday next, July 20th, the first day of the Tattersalls Ireland July Show in Co Meath.

Show ring experiences will be shared by a panel of George Chapman, Rosemary Connors, David Tatlow, Richard Iggulden and Tim Martin while the Red Mills team will provide information on nutrition for the show horse.

Topics which will be discussed include the importance of conformation and temperament, competitors’ expectations of judges and vice versa, ringcraft and whether one can overdo a young horse by showing it in-hand. The cover cost will be €20 which will include food and a drink.

Champion of champions qualifiers

TWO qualifiers for the Connolly’s Red Mills champion of champions series were held last weekend. Another was held in Bannow and Rathangan on Thursday for which details will appear next week.

The final takes place on Sunday next, July 21st, in the Connolly’s Red Mills Ring 1 at Tattersalls Ireland July Show.

Qualified at Adamstown Agricultural Show on Saturday, July 6th were: Champion of show: George Chapman’s Seagull (Brian Murphy), five-year-old heavyweight grey gelding by Future Trend out of AFS Lady Capri, by KEC Blue Jay Diamond; bred by M.J. Kavanagh, Wexford.

Reserve champion and best four-year-old: Kieran Ryan’s Rockshore (Claire Gilna), chesnut small hunter gelding by Kiltealy Silver out of Killedmond Star, by Porter Rhodes; bred by Mary Carroll, Carlow.

Qualified at Clonmel Show on Sunday, July 7th were: Champion of show: John Stafford’s Major Malone (Nicola Perrin), five-year-old lightweight chesnut gelding by Rosheen Yeats out of Croghan Lass, by Vestris Abu; bred by owner, Kildare.

Reserve champion and best four-year-old: P.J. Casey’s Crown Star (Owner), heavyweight bay gelding by Shannonview Star out of Sunshine Diamond, by Coevers Diamond Boy; bred Laurence Culligan, Clare.

Reserve Champion and best four-year-old, winner of Heavy Weight class: Crown Star, owned by PJ Casey (rider).