THE Eventing Ireland season was due to commence tomorrow at the Kearney family’s Frankfort Stud in Co Wexford but that was cancelled on Wednesday morning due to heavy rain over the previous few days with more forecast.

Among those who had made entries were Ian Cassells and Paddy Whelan who dominated the EI leaderboards last year, the former doing so when claiming the No 1 spot on the Top 10 riders’ list. The Newcastle, Co Dublin competitor accumulated 633 points during 2022 which left him well ahead of England-based Susie Berry (534) who, in turn, finished clear of Cathal Daniels (443).

Cassells heads into the new campaign with most of his top horses from last year and these are now ready to step up to four-star level.

One Irish Sport Horse mare who won’t be on the Cassells truck this season however is Brookwood Supersable on whom he was 18th out of 67 in the CCI3*-L for seven-year-olds at Le Lion d’Angers in October having finished inside the top eight in four CCI3*-S classes in home internationals earlier in the year. Previously owned by her breeder, Pat Duffy, the 2015 daughter of Tolan R is now being campaigned by Switzerland’s Carla Brunner.

Twenty-eight-year-old Cassells, who has represented Ireland internationally since 2011, was the highest-placed Irish rider at last year’s world breeding championships of young event horses when finishing fifth in the CCI2*-L for six-year-olds on the ISH gelding Rosconnell Alto.

Bred by Patrick Lacey out of the Cavalier Clover Lad mare All Clover, Gerry and Fiona Leahy’s Tabasco Van Erpekom chesnut had previously finished third in the CCI3*-S at Ballindenisk International (3) following a win at the same level at Millstreet International (2).

Cassells showed that his own and his string’s flat skills were right up to speed last Sunday at the Dressage Ireland Leinster Region show in Greenogue where he rode six horses, five of them competing twice.