ALL fired up with enthusiasm for this year’s Stepping Stones to Success League, Orla Roche was delighted with the entry for Wednesday’s first qualifier in the series and was particularly pleased to see some of last season’s highly-placed four-year-olds return to Wexford Equestrian.

Unfortunately, the sun which made all outdoor sports so enjoyable last weekend had disappeared mid-week and it was a dull, misty day with ‘soft’ rain at times. Outdoors, main jumping judge Ian Fearon and guest adjudicator, John Micklem, were able to escape the precipitation thanks to a new judges’ box at the side of the arena.