HAVING enjoyed a good run of success last year, Bryan Bourke and Killea Quality Cruise opened their seasonal campaign with a good first outing win in the EI 110 (J). Poised in joint second place on the flat, the reigning junior national champions produced the sole double-clear round of the class to complete a distance in front of Martha Dolan with Payback. This victory highlighted another classy six-year-old, and was a credit to Bourke, who has produced this Thomas Doyle-bred son of OBOS Quality (dam by Cruising) throughout his career. Aaron Doyle and Paddy B were placed third of the six runners.

A further six went to post in the following EI 110 (P) but in a high scoring class, none managed to keep their dressage score intact and only two returned home clear in the country. Of those who did, Philip Cole landed his first Eventing Ireland win with Taylors Dicey Riley, from Maria Fouhy with Portlairge.

With all 11 runners completing, the junior EI 100 (P) riders fared much better. Oscar O’Connor and the mare Belaero clearly impressed dressage judge Dervla Diamond to pick up a mark of 20.5, and adding nothing further held the winning advantage over Rosie Coad with her Blackstairs-winning Connemara Blackhall Summer. In third spot and also double clear was Anna Nangle aboard another of the native breed Blackwoodland Breeze.

The racing contingent has been well represented in the eventing ranks this season, and another name to watch out for is the EI 100 (J) winner Jasper Kelly. A grandson of trainer Edward O’Grady, Kelly rode Tanya Locke’s Rathcline Moonlight Girl who, usually ridden by her owner, was placed third in the national amateur championships last year.

Kelly is currently in transition year and is taking the opportunity to further his equestrian skills as a working pupil with Luke Drea. Through this connection, he has been fortunate to pick up a lot of rides in recent months, and this mare aside, he has been busy in the Stepping Stones series where last Tuesday he was awarded the Tiggy Trust’s Future Star prize. Just three marks adrift, second spot fell to the clean jumping Poynstown Glory (Josie Alcock) who shared the same mark as the recent Lisgarvan winners Matthew Kelly and Mister Ed.

Emphatically taking the honours in the final EI 90 (P) and with six wins from seven runs this season, 15-year-old Georgina Pettit is on a roll. Riding her mother Marguerite’s Connemara gelding Ballerk Lover, her dressage mark of 16.5 was a class apart, and holding that score the duo completed 15 marks in front of the remaining eight runners. Lucy Keane filled second with Manusmore Trump, narrowly ahead of Sarah Kehoe aboard How Ya Sammy. Georgina’s victories this year have been shared neatly between her two home-bred Connemara ponies and, holding a fault-free show jumping record so far this season, is helped by her uncle Kieran Furlong and has creditably produces her ponies from scratch.