THE Leinster Region of Dressage Ireland hadn’t held a show at Greenogue since the spring until returning there last Sunday when, thanks to works carried out in the interim by the McCarthy family, both 20m x 60m dressage arenas could be erected in the enlarged outdoor arena.

Sandra Hammersley and Joanne Jarden were the riders in form with the former completing a double while the latter recorded a treble. All three of Jarden’s wins came before List 2 judge Michael Moore who had only the Northern region rider to assess in the Advanced where she scored 67.71% for her test with Quarryhill Calypso, an 11-year-old bay mare by Rockrimmon Senator.

At Medium level, Jarden was awarded a score of 71.96 for her work in the BD73 on board Debby Ewing’s Anglo European Studbook-registered Stormhill Raindance, a 13-year-old bay mare by Kremlin, who also topped the leaderboard on 73.75 in the Elementary BD59. Here, Category 2 rider Heather O’Connor finished second on HSH Has It All (69.37), the 10-year-old ISH gelding by Puissance on whom she finished ninth in the European young rider eventing championships in Sweden in late August.

In the second Elementary class, judged by Bernie Webb, O’Connor and HSH Has It All finished third (63.21) as Daphne Lush claimed the honours with Millpoint Carnival (66.78) ahead of Nicole Stewart riding Lister Star (63.75). The winning traditionally bred ISH gelding is an 11-year-old chesnut son of Millpoint Odin out of the Gael Force mare, Millpoint Girl.

Category 1 rider Hammersley won both Preliminary classes on her ISH gelding Drop The Pilot, being awarded a score of 67.5% by Bernie Webb (DI8) and 76.04 by Mairin Cassidy (DI18). Hammersley also competes under Show Jumping Ireland rules with her seven-year-old grey who is by Gallant Cavalier out of the Ard Grandpa mare Carrowneden Grace.

Second among the Category 1 riders in that class, side-saddle rider Helen Cooke won the Ivor Harper-judged Novice BD27 with her traditionally bred ISH gelding Lackaghbeg Augustus Star (67.85), an eight-year-old grey by Emperor Augustus. Hawthorn Farm’s James O’Haire, who is among those signed up to compete in next month’s Treo Eile pro/celeb thoroughbred show jumping classic, won the second Novice class (DI27) with the nine-year-old Womanizer mare HFS Eclipse (71.03).

Lexi Kilfeather recorded an unopposed win in the Medium DI65 on board the AES-registered Lord Of The Morning (68.90) with whom she finished fifth in the CCI4*-S at Ballindenisk in September. This 10-year-old Sir Donnerhall gelding is a half-brother to the Indoctro gelding BT Anglo (CCI3*-L).

Owner of Greenogue, along with her father Con, Lucy McCarthy recorded a score of 64.26 to win the Webb-judged four-strong Advanced Medium DI90 with Lloyd W, her eight-year-old Lorano gelding.

The highest-graded class on Sunday, the Michael Moore-judged Prix St George in which there were two starters, was won by Jenny Heffernan riding her Dutch Warmblood gelding De Keizer KN (60.79), a 13-year-old bay by Vivaldi.

Thirteen-year-old Co Wexford international Oscar O’Connor was the only competitor in the FEI pony classes. Moore awarded him a score of 70% in the team test for his work on the 10-year-old palomino gelding Veenstras Grapjas while he achieved a score of 65.13 in the Webb-judged individual test on board the 11-year-old Westphalian gelding Top Hero 2. Both ponies are owned by the rider’s mother Susan.

All 20+ starters in the Trail Blazers’ classes, seven of whom were under the age of 10, were judged at the various levels by Ivor Harper.

The Leinster Region is staging the fifth and final qualifier in the Horse Sport Ireland autumn development league today at JAG in Co Kildare. The final is scheduled for Sunday, December 12th, at Greenogue.