IN all sports, as some competitors are forced to the sidelines through injury, others get their chance to shine and so it was in the EI115 at Crecora last Sunday when Patrick Whelan came in for the winning ride on Sportsfield Lumiere whose owner, and usual partner, Paul Donovan, was suffering from a bad back.

Donovan’s seven-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding by Orestus completed on his winning dressage score (19.8 penalties) with the Robbie Collins-ridden Dunrath Navigator also finishing the day on his Liam Maloney-awarded flat-work mark of 27.3. Michael O’Toole withdrew Icco from the 10-runner class after the first two phases when he was on a mark of 24.4.

“I hope Paul gives himself all the time he needs to recover fully!” quiped Co Wexford’s Whelan. “To be fair, Paul had the horse spot-on for Sunday and I was particularly delighted with our dressage score. I’ve been attending that training Janet Murray organises since March and I feel that I have really benefitted from all that great coaching over a whole day. Paul hopes to bring this fellow to Le Lion at the end of the season and I’ve three horses qualified myself, a six-year-old and two seven-year-olds.

“I was thrilled with my own three horses at Crecora although it was a long day with a 5.30am start and I wasn’t home until well after 11 that night. Ikoon Lan DHI, a nine-year-old Emilion gelding I bought from Cathal Daniels as a replacement for Footfall (who will have one more four-star run), finished third (30.6) in the EI110 where we jumped double clear but were two seconds over the time show jumping.

“My two four-year-olds, who were making their debuts, were second and third in divisions of the EI90. I own the Kroongraaf mare, Glensmill Kroon Girl, myself while Ramonaa C (by Clarimo), belongs to her breeder, Seamus Carew and is a half-sister to his Orestus gelding Altitu who I rode last year at Le Lion. He’s in the three-star-short at Kilguilkey at the weekend and Ramonaa C is one of two horses I’m competing in the four-year-old development class. Ikoon Lan goes in the one-star-intro.”

Triple for Coleman

Sian Coleman won the three classes in which Whelan was placed.

In the 35-strong EI110, Coleman led throughout with her own six-year-old Cavalier Land gelding Kilroe Frolic (25.3), their task being made easier when Cliodhna Brennan picked up 2.4 time penalties with the thoroughbred Road To Emmaus (29.2) across the country while navigational issues resulted in Caitie Slater being eliminated on the final leg with the well-placed Belline Rock Trend (27.5). Kilroe Frolic (CCI2*-S) is one of five horses Coleman is riding at Kilguilkey House this weekend

Her other two winners also made all to land their respective EI90 classes. In Section A, Coleman was successful on the EI debutant Caitriona (23.8), a seven-year-old daughter of Contra A. “A friend of mine, Caitriona Cronin, bought this mare as a hunter and then asked me to do a bit of schooling with her. She has turned out to be useful and you’d have to be happy with that result.”

Two combinations were eliminated in this class for jumping an incorrect fence while three of the five who were eliminated in Section B did likewise.

Here, Coleman recorded another pillar-to-post victory on her second EI start with the Maurice Smiddy-bred five-year-old Mr Hale Bob mare Hale Athena (27) who won two of her four EI90 outings under Amanda Goldsbury. Here, Patrick Whelan was narrowly beaten into second with Glensmill Kroon Girl (27.8).