YOUTH trumped experience in the EI115 at Ballindenisk’s mid-week fixture last Wednesday, where Junior rider Niamh Verkade finished best of the 14 runners with Duniro. Verkade took over the ride on the 13-year-old gelding by the Connemara stallion Abbeyfield Comet from Sian Coleman midway through last season, and this occasion marked the combination’s first start at EI115 level. They jumped double clear to finish on their Marie Hennessy-awarded dressage score of 32.5.

Fellow Junior, Izzy Barratt, took the reserve spot with Oakfield Cooley, the same position they occupied in the CCIJ2*-L at the venue’s Spring International earlier this year. They finished just one second over the optimum time across country to add 0.4 to their first phase mark of 33.2. Nicola Ennis finished on 35.8 to take third with the thoroughbred Devils Cape, while dressage leaders Momo Sheehy and Da Vinci dropped down the order due to cross-country time faults.