IPC NATIONAL DRESSAGE DAY

NINE riders under the age of 10 took part in the Under 12 competition where they performed their test before Maire Quinlan Pluck.

She was most impressed by eight-year-old Wicklow Branch member Charlotte Goor who finished first on a score of 70.25% with the 10-year-old Welsh palomino gelding Ridgehill Ryan and second on Ardfry Rahara (68.75). Goor partnered that 2006 Rhydgwillim Victor gelding to victory in the show hunter pony lead rein class at Dublin last August.

Galway Mid County’s Lara Field was also double handed in the Under 12s’ competition and finished third with the 12-year-old Connemara mare Creganna Belle (72%) and second on the similarly-aged gelding, Glandrine Pied Piper (72). The narrow winner on 72.25 was the Killinicks’ Faye Murphy with Brighter Day Biscuits (72.25), a 13-year-old palomino gelding.

The first three in the well-filled Junior competition in the large arena all scored over 70%. Topping the marks of judges Eithne O’Kelly and Anne Kirwan was the Carlows’ Rachel Carr and the 12-year-old Gigman Orinoco gelding Araglen Bucks Fizz (73.56) with whom she competed at Rosanna on Sunday.

A feature of this National Dressage Day was the number different Branches represented and taking second here on a score of 71.25 was Co Clare’s Emily Keehan with Luna Midnight Magic on whom she competes at Novice level under Dressage Ireland rules. The locally-based Bray member Grace O’Donoghue was third with Garryndruig Prada (70.19), an 11-year-old mare by Templebready Fear Bui.

Naoise Ward of the Killinick Branch dominated the Intermediate competition judged by Marie Hennessy and Lynn Cassidy. She won with the British-bred international three-star eventer Hartpury Sky Is The Limit (69.44%) and was second on Designer 16 (68.52) with whom she competes at DI Elementary level. The Brays’ Michelle Dunne partnered A One Your Highness (67.13) into third on Saturday and, on her dressage score, finished seventh with the unraced thoroughbred (a 10-year-old gelding by High-Rise) in the EI100J at Rosanna the following afternoon.

Three of the six combinations at Open/SA level represented the Westmeath Branch but it was the Kildares’ Shaunnagh Delaney who won with the well-known The Artist Apprentice (69.35%), a 12-year-old black gelding by The Artist with whom she too competes at Elementary level in DI competitions.

The Westmeaths’ Louise Kennedy was second on the nine-year-old Sovereign Water gelding Soverign Guy (68.24), with whom she filled the same position in the EI10J at Rosanna, and was third on the wonderful 24-year-old Prince Zola (68.06).

Kennedy and that Woodvale Kings Royal bay joined forces with Galway Mid County’s Lara Field (Creganna Dancer), the Meaths’ Zoe Bolton (Killough Benedict) and Newcastle Lyons’s Olivia Casey (Knocknaveagh Lady Arwen) to form The Dressage Royals and win the team challenge.

DOMINATED

Ashbrook members dominated this section at the higher levels, Michael Moore winning both Advanced Open classes with Clare Fitzsimons’s 17-year-old Rachelle Comet gelding Smart Decision with whom he competes at Medium level under Dressage Ireland rules. Helen Clarke won the short arena Advanced Intermediate class with her 13-year-old chesnut gelding Out Of The Blue while John Gavin took the honours in the long arena with Toome Ramiro Pippin.

Kilronan’s Louise Somers won the Advanced Intermediate class in the short arena with her Irish Draught gelding Indian Mist, a nine-year-old by Cappa Cochise, finishing immediately ahead of Lulu Parkill and DSL Walk On By. There was a big turnaround in the later class however where Parkhil finished well clear of her rivals on DSL Walk On By, a 19-year-old chesnut gelding by the thoroughbred Lion d’Or.

Helena Fitzgerald recorded another victory for Ashbrook in the short arena Intermediate class with her 18-year-old Clover Dubh gelding Gentleman James, champion ridden horse at the Festival two years ago. However, on a score of 76.42% she had to share the honours with Drynam’s Sophie Marks and her new ride for this year, Vivienne O’Connor’s home-bred Crosstown Dancer gelding Ballinapark Endeavour.

In the large arena, Fitzgerald and Marks finished second and third respectively to Ruth Clinton of the Castle Hill Club and her 12-year-old brown gelding Ballustree Shy Boy.

The Primary and Advanced Primary competitors rode both their tests in the short arena. At the higher grade, Ard Lu’s Linda Nulty won the first test with her nine-year-old piebald gelding My Man Oreo but had to settle for the runner-up spot in the second behind Border Counties’ Gay Keenan and the 22-year-old chesnut gelding Cloncaw Smartie.

Keenan’s clubmate Leonie Irwin doubled up at Primary level riding the Irish Draught mare Edenagor Kate, a seven-year-old chesnut by Cappa Cassanova.