AS the home international season gathers pace, Irish event riders will have another chance to pick up valuable qualifications at Ballindenisk next weekend. A late addition to the calendar, the fixture will of course be staged behind closed doors and, running specifically for the industry, will offer five short format classes for all levels. With the full long format international due to place at the end of September, this will give home riders not only a taste of the courses but an opportunity to clock up some badly needed mileage.

Having already run a successful national fixture back in July, Fell will be fully acquainted with the protocols required and next weekend will be run on largely the same lines. “We wouldn’t have been able to run without the support of so many, including Horse Sport Ireland, who have been a massive help,” explained Fell. “We are trying to manage in these strange times, and it’s so important that we get it right.”