IT was a week of mixed emotions for Peter Fell, organiser, event director and chief cross-country course designer for last weekend’s Ballindenisk international horse trials.

Speaking to The Irish Field on Sunday afternoon, Fell was beaming – as the sun had been for much of the three days – but he revealed that he couldn’t raise even a smile earlier in the week. “When I saw the rain on Sunday and Monday, I could have cried,” he said. “In fact, I was nearly sick!”