MEMBERS of the Northern Region of Dressage Ireland enjoyed their 2023 awards evening and a fun table quiz last Friday night in the function room at the Knockagh View Equestrian Centre and were back at the Greenisland venue on Saturday for the eighth leg of their winter league.

Focusing on the more numerically competitive classes on Saturday, there was a double at Preliminary level for Category 1 rider Alexandra Ryan and her Connemara gelding Ambition, an eight-year-old dun by Drumbad Fletcher Moss. The combination scored 70.86% in the 10-runner BD2, which was judged by Coreen Abernethy (List 4), and 73.85 in the eight-strong BD18, judged by Michael Moore (List 2a).

Scores of 70% or over were also scored by Katie Lowry and her British-bred Connemara gelding Crosspoint Tobin (70.65), a 2011 grey son of Templehill Jasper, in the Elementary BD40; Roma Oakes and her Anglo European Studbook-registered gelding Radar (71.61), a 2010 chesnut by Wolkenderry, in the Elementary DI55; and Denise Kelly Rice with Pamela Wilson’s Westphalian mare Forvanna (72.65), a 2017 Formidable bay, in the Medium BD73.

International event rider Casey Webb, a speaker at CAFRE’s recent careers’ day, partnered the Irish Sport Horse mare Aprils Pacino Time (70.31%), to victory in the five-runner, Moore-judged Medium DI65. This 11-year-old bay by Pacino, who has competed at CCI3*-L level, was bred in Co Tyrone by Gareth Douglas.

Ellen McDonald, who saw off one rival to win the Moore-judged FEI Junior team test on her father Jim’s Dutch Warmblood mare Donna Karen JDJ (70%), a 16-year-old Lord Leatherdale bay, was among the prize winners on Friday night, when she and Jim’s Dutch Riding Pony Dante Alighieri were crowned Medium champions for 2023.

Casey Webb and Aprils Pacino Time had a win at Medium level at Danescroft \ Ellie Johnston

Winners

The other Graded championship winners were Ellie Campbell and Killaspic Arya (Junior Trailblazer and overall Trailblazer), Harriet O’Hagan and OOS Fairytale (Under 12 Trailblazer), Erin McCoy and Bjornsun (FEI Junior), Karen McKeown and Mister Galaxie Win (Preliminary), Eve Adair and Dot (Junior Preliminary), Caroline Herron and Clantara Lord Louis (Novice), Hollie Donnan and Suzie Seagry (Junior Novice), Denise Kelly Rice and Forvanna (Elementary), Lucy Adams and Esdals King W.A. (Advanced Medium) and Karen McKeown with VSH Gangster (Open).

McKeown was also presented with the Wylie Trophy for achieving the highest % score from Preliminary through to Elementary levels at the summer finals on Mister Galaxie Win, while Ellen McDonald was presented with the Mourne rosette for the achieving the highest % score from Medium level upwards at the same fixture on Dante Alighieri.

Caroline Herron picked up two special awards at Friday night’s function – for the horse with most DI points in 2023 and for the Northern Ireland-bred horse with most DI points in 2023 – with Clantara Lord Louis. A 2018 ISH gelding by Hoeks Ludo W, the grey was bred in Co Down by his owner/rider, in partnership with Lorraine Jackson, out of the Gentle Diamond mare, Strandhill Misty.