NOW living on the Rosanna Estate, New Zealand international Amanda Goldsbury posted a home success at the Fielding family’s Co Wicklow venue last Saturday when landing the EI115 (Open) on her dressage score with Nicola Roden’s Fernhill Inspector (27.5).

This was a fourth win in six starts at this level for the 11-year-old Tinaranas Inspector gelding who, with problems in both jumping phases, finished 34th of 51 in the CCI3*-L at Millstreet earlier in the month having been lying 12th after dressage. He is set to tackle similar company at the second of the Kilguilkey internationals.

Here, Goldsbury and Fernhill Inspector were lying second on 27.5 penalties following Vanda Stewart’s judging of the dressage phase. However, they found themselves on top of the standings after show jumping where the early leaders, Ian Cassells and Lisanley picked up 12 penalties. A further 2.4 for time on the final leg saw that combination finish third as Adam Haugh slotted into second with Carsonstown Cruise whose total of 35 included 6.8 cross-country time penalties.

“Although I didn’t ride here the last day, I know they put in a lot of work to have new tracks for this second event,” said Goldsbury. “It was great to ride over today’s track which made use of the terrain with its turns and hills. It also asked plenty of questions. It’s nice to have a track like this with its undulations that you really have to ride over rather than just gallop over.”

The only male rider to win on the day was the aforementioned Cassells who actually filled the first two places throughout in the seven-strong EI115 on Pat Duffy’s home-bred Brookwood Supersable (32.5) and Susanna Cawley’s Master Quality Imp (33.6). Both horses completed on their Vanda Stewart-awarded dressage scores and were the only ones to do so.

“I’d another very good day as all five of my rides finished in the top four,” said the Newcastle, Co Dublin rider. “Brookwood Supersable is one of five I’m bringing to Kilguilkey where she’s in the three-star-short. This was a strong enough track and they had done a good bit with the ground. It’s a pity there was another southern event on at the weekend (Hillcrest on Sunday) as it does split the entry numbers.”

Cassells is hoping to be selected for Le Lion D’Angers with some of his young horses including the seven-year-old Brookwood Supersable who is by Tolan R out of the Captain Clover mare Brookwood First Lady. The black mare, who has 80 Show Jumping Ireland points, has never had a jumping penalty and has never finished outside the top six in 11 eventing starts.

Once more completing on his dressage score, Cassells had to settle for second with Millridge Athos (32) in the EI110 (Open) where there was a welcome success, on just her third start since September last year, for Co Down’s Ella Boyle on Grafenstolz Distinction. The combination’s total of 24.9 included 0.4 of a cross-country time penalty.

It was good to see an improved entry for this second and final EI one-day of year at Rosanna House but, at 183, it still fell some way short of the 300 which can be accommodated at this venue and the deadline had once again been extended.