IT has been some time since Nicky Roncoroni competed in her native Britain but the Co Kilkenny-based international is among the starters in the CCIYH2*-S for six-year-olds at Cornbury House this weekend on Rockalong with whom she won the EI110 (Open) at Clyda (2) last Sunday.

Roncoroni and her ISH gelding by Imperial Hights led the 10-strong class throughout although a fence down show jumping and two cross-country time penalties saw them complete on 29.6. Laura Kelly and the 2011 Kings Master gelding HL Marley And Me posted the only double clear inside the time to finish second on their Joan Ahern-awarded dressage score (32).

Purchased as a three-year-old in Northern Ireland from the Douglas brothers, Rockalong was bred in Co Cavan by Malcolm Jennings out of the Touchdown mare Hill View Beauty. “This is a lovely, big, blood horse,” said Roncoroni of her winner who was recording his first success at this level.

“He was a bit fresh in the show jumping, hence the pole. He’s good now at six but I think he will be a better prospect as a seven-year-old – for me or someone else as he is for sale. I think he is a proper one for the future.

“The cross-country courses were all good – well-built and well-presented – and this track was long enough to get a good blow into horses. The ground held up well although the warm-up areas in particular were cut-up by the end of the day.”

Fagan win

Co Westmeath’s Chloe Fagan landed the EI110 on her father Mark’s home-bred Deravarra Rise N Shine (29 penalties) on whom she won a CCI1*-Intro at San Quentin, France, last October and the Junior/Young Riders event horse class at the Dublin Horse Show last month.

Fagan and the seven-year-old ISH gelding, a bay by Caricello out of the non-winning Exit To Nowhere mare Derravarra Bay, recorded one of just two double clears inside the time in the 28-runner class, the other coming from the Neilus O’Donoghue-ridden Penwhistle (31.8).

Molly O’Connor led on Muckridge Quick Step (24.5) after the Marian Slattery-judged dressage phase but they had a fence down show jumping and were two seconds over the time on the final leg for a third-placed total of (33.3).