THE Rebel County produced a winner of its own at last week’s Ballindenisk International Horse Trials where Momo Sheehy led throughout the 30-runner Horse Sport Ireland CCI2*-L on TMX Herby.

A fifth year student at Kinsale Community School, Sheehy added two show jumping time penalties to the winning dressage score of 22.3 she was awarded by Judith Eisnecker (C) and Yvonne Monahan (B). Fellow Co Cork-based rider Sian Coleman recorded a double clear inside the time on the six-year-old Cavalier Land gelding Kilroe Frolic (26.1).

This was a fifth win in 10 starts for Sheehy and the 10-year-old Zirocco Blue gelding and the second in succession for the combination following their victory in the EI110 (J) national championship at Lisgarvan House earlier in the month.

No pressure on other fathers but Morgann Sheehy purchased TMX Herby as a St Valentine’s gift for his daughter this year. Previously campaigned up to CCI4*-L by The Netherlands’ Tim Lips, the chesnut Dutch Warmblood gelding was sourced in Germany by Allan McSweeney of Balladeer Eventers. McSweeney had also found E Warrantsson on whom Sheehy claimed the Open title at last year’s Irish Pony Club/Connolly’s Red Mills eventing championships at Tattersalls. She is still a member of the Carbery Branch.

“My whole family now rides,” revealed 17-year-old Momo. “My mother, Carolyn O’Keeffe, hunts a lot with the South Union while my four siblings all ride, three of them competitively. My dad only took up riding in the last couple of years but he now events at EI100 (Amateur) level. His eventer (Bally Quantos) and mine are kept with Allan and Aoife McSweeney and I’d very much like to thank Aoife for all her coaching.

“I loved doing the long format class at Ballindenisk and I thought the cross-country course was really nice with some lovely combination fences on it. Next year, I’d love to be selected for the Junior team.”