AMELIA McCarthy commenced her 2022 Eventing Ireland campaign with a win on the opening day of the season in the EI100 (J) at Blackstairs (1) in mid-March on Tillystown Girl and concluded it with a win on the final day of the season in the EI110 (J) at Punchestown (3) last Saturday on Finsceal Endeavour.

Between times, the 16-year-old has rarely been out of the top 10 with both horses, who are owned by her mother Zazel, while she also partnered the seven-year-old Metropole mare Finsceal Endeavour to victory in the Pony Club members’ combined training at the Dublin Horse Show in August. Amelia is very much hoping to be selected for the Junior team next year.

Here, the combination added 6.8 cross-country time penalties to their winning dressage score of 25.5 to win ahead of Ben Connors and OLS Queen Bee who completed on their Joanne Jarden-awarded flatwork mark (33).

Local rider Connors rounded off his very successful season when recording the only double clear to win the EI100 (P) on Hans Juergen Kuehnle’s Connemara gelding Cloneenagh Ted (33.8), a six-year-old grey by Cloonaveigh Cisco out of the Oisin mare Cloneenagh Windy.

Two other Connemara ponies won on the day though, disappointingly, Anna Nangle and her mother Fiona’s well-known Carracanada Kieran, a 15-year-old gelding by Loughlum Sadat, were the only starters in the EI110 (P).

There was a first win on her fourth start for Newtownabbey’s Holly Ross who recorded the only double clear to land the five-runner EI90 (P) with Ech Féirin. This 11-year-old mare by Frederiksminde Hazy Move On, who was bred by Proinnsias Mac an Tuile out of the Earl Of Castlefrench mare Echliath, was having just her second EI start but has plenty of Pony Club and Showjumping Ireland experience behind her.

Holly is a daughter of bloodstock agents Kevin and Anna Ross who, although it is a busy time of year for them with so many thoroughbred sales, took Saturday off for a family day.

Kevin, a former successful amateur jockey, brought sons Harvey and Mark to rugby while Holly and pony were transported down to Punchestown by Anna who recalled riding Glenpipe in the CCI3* at the Co Kildare venue some years back.