CO Antrim’s Alex Houston got off the mark for the season when partnering the home-bred Irish Sport Horse gelding Atlantic Rockstar to his first Novice success in the 20-runner EI110 at Lightsource BP Tyrella (3) last Saturday.
The seven-year-old Beach Ball bay was bred by Houston and her father Sam out of Missey Elliott, on whom Alex competed at the 2011 European Young Riders championships at Blair Castle in 2011.
He completed on his Rosie Gomes-awarded winning dressage score of 20 penalties to see off MMF Churchill (24.1) who was two seconds over the time across the country.
The runner-up was partnered by Steven Smith who, most unusually, was unseated from two of his other three rides in this class.
Gomes also judged the three-runner EI110 (Open) where Declan Cullen led throughout with his ISH gelding Seavaghan Ash (21 penalties). The 13-year-old skewbald gelding by Glenhill Gold was having his first start since being withdrawn before cross-country in the CCI4*-S at Kilguilkey House in August 2020.
Just one combination had a problem in jumping across the country in the 27-runner EI100 where the majority of those in the top half of the final leaderboard completed on their Martina McKinley-awarded dressage scores.
Unfortunately for the flat work winners, Bethany Burton and the six-year-old Livello gelding Must Be Cooley, who had finished second on their only other start at Blackstairs (2), they picked up 1.6 cross-country time penalties to drop to third on a total of 25.1.
This gifted the class to Elaine O’Connor on Helen Fletcher’s ISH gelding Sir Barnabus (24), the 13-year-old Cyrano gelding winning for the fourth time at this level.
Clare Abbott moved up into second with Caltra Classic (24.5), a six-year-old Sligo Candy Boy mare who was having her second start.
Mixed luck
The cross-country course caused a few more problems in the 23-strong EI90 where Michael McGaffin had mixed luck.
The Banbridge rider led throughout with Sharon Cowan’s home-bred ISH mare Rose Of Mourne (23 penalties), who has having her third start, but, having had a fence down show jumping, retired on the final leg with the ex-racehorse Ballela To Milan on whom he had been lying second (24.5) after the Lucinda Webb Graham-judged dressage phase.
Ratoath veterinary surgeon Robbie Collins moved into the runner-up spot with his Crecora (1) winner, the five-year-old thoroughbred gelding Dunrath Archibald (28).
The winner is an eight-year-old traditionally bred daughter of the Irish Draught stallion King Of Mourne out of a mare by Big Sink Hope.
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