RENOWNED Co Waterford young horse producer Meabh Bolger recorded her first international eventing success when landing the Global Event Horses CCI2*-S on MBF Back To Back at Ballindenisk last weekend and then put the icing on the cake when partnering Kelvin Della Caccia to victory in the Black Rainbow CCI1*-intro.

“Oh God, I was so delighted!” enthused Bolger. “I knew both horses were on form and then everything came right over the two days. I’ve always liked Ballindenisk and, in spite of the short space of time he had to work in, Peter (Fell) did a really good job getting everything together; the ground on the cross-country course was exceptional.”

The Irish Sport Horse gelding MBF Back To Back, who has been highly regarded since first appearing under saddle, faced 22 rivals in the CCI2*-S where he was one of three horses to break the 30-penalty barrier in dressage. Before the ground jury of Ireland’s John Lyttle (C) and Betty O’Neill (B), the Metropole six-year-old went into the lead on 29.1 penalties, the score on which he completed to take the win.

Wexford riders filled the next two places on the final leaderboad – Patrick Whelan finishing second with Paul Donovan’s ISH gelding Dermish Chill (31.8), a six-year-old grey by Chillout, and Junior competitor Matthew Kelly placing third with the Connemara gelding Mister Ed (33.2), a 13-year-old son of Carraig Eibhir.

A pole down show jumping and 0.8 of a time penalty in this phase proved expensive for Ian Cassells and Millridge Athos, who finished fourth on 34.1, while Alison Holden dropped from third after dressage (29.6) to ninth when picking up an additional 8.8 penalties over the coloured poles. Two combinations retired across the country while another two were withdrawn before that phase.

In the CCI1*-Intro, Bolger also completed on her dressage score with the Sella Italiano gelding Kelvin Della Caccia (31.2) who was bringing up a four-timer having previously won at EI100 level at Kilguilkey House (1), Hillcrest (3) and Grove (1). Here, Kelly placed second on the ISH gelding Fanlehane Nariah (33), with Niamh Kirwan slotting into third on the eight-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Global Javall Gold (33.4), both combinations completing on their first phase scores.

Competing in her second international, Amelia Furnell finished fourth, on her dressage score, with the six-year-old Womanizer gelding Brownstowns Blue Steel (33.8). Unfortunately, her brother Dominic dropped from second early on Saturday to seventh at day’s end when picking up four show jumping penalties with the similarly aged Kannan mare Elegant Philly (35.4) who, like all of her rivals, was clear across the country on Sunday.

The show jumping phase also proved problematic for the dressage winners on 30.6, Alex O’Hare and Greylands Diamond Girl, and for Britain’s Eleanor Hope and Class Romance and Ireland’s Caoimhe Crozier with Hill Monarch who had been on 32.4 and 32.5 respectively.

Training pays off

“The plan now is for Back To Back to go for the two-star short at Kilguilkey while Kelvin is off for a bit of a break. Coming from show jumping, he had done very little cross-country up to about eight weeks ago and has now had four runs in quick succession. The one-star cross-country was tough enough and, while it went my way, it was easy enough to pick up show jumping faults.

“I like these two horses which is why I’m hanging on to them at present and I’d love to get to Le Lion. I’ve been attending Janet Murray’s training programme on a regular basis and I find it absolutely brilliant. I’ve benefitted greatly from the coaching of the dressage trainers she has brought in and from jumping with Ian Fearon – it’s definitely made a difference.

“There are a couple of people I’d like to thank, one being my sister Ciara who does all the entries, etc. and anything to do with computers and my husband Brian (Flynn) who keeps the (MBF Sporthorses) show on the road at home while I’m away competing. That’s a lot of work as the place is full of youngsters!”

Junior rider Matthew Kelly had a great weekend, finishing third to Bolger in the CCI2*-S on the Connemara gelding Mister Ed and second to her in the CCI1*-Intro on the ISH mare Fanlehane Nariah.

Both animals are owned by the rider’s father Edward, who said of his 17-year-old son: “He’s now totally dedicated to eventing. I don’t know how he managed to do so well in the spring as he’s at boarding school in Newbridge College (where he has just finished transition year) and only got to ride at weekends.

“Although he did some eventing as a member of the Island Pony Club and did some show jumping, which the family has always been involved in, he only started competing with Eventing Ireland halfway through 2020 and now has three animals on the go. We bought Ah To Be Sure in England as a schoolmaster and he will be for sale at the end of the season as will Mister Ed.

“We bought Fanlehane Nariah (a six-year-old by Sibon W) late last year from Mary Leonard and she is a long-term project. Matthew has benefitted greatly from the dressage coaching he is getting from Mark Ruddock and Sean Burgess who are now based about 15 minutes away from us. Matthew and the mare have qualified for the Junior/Young rider event championship at Dublin which will be great though all the family got a great thrill out of him performing so well at Ballindenisk.

“We’re faming here in Ferns where horses keep the family together. I used to do a bit of show jumping myself and our daughter Ciara does a good bit of jumping. Matthew would love to qualify for some of that George Mernagh Fund money. George was a Wexford man which is one reason while training, which is necessary to move forward, can prove costly.”