THERE certainly was no ‘April Fools’ for Irish athletes who attended the Meadows Equestrian Centre, Lurgan, for the continuation of their popular SJI horse series, but also as host venue to the latest Royal Ulster Agricultural Society (RUAS) national show jumping qualifiers.

In the absence of resident course designer Aaron McCusker, who was attending to the show jumping phase of Eventing Ireland’s Tyrella II event, the mantle fell to fellow FEI designer, Nigel Jess.