RODNEY O’Donnell moved Dartans Hillcrest back up to EI115 level for the first time in over a year on Sunday at Kilguilkey House where he completed on the winning dressage score of 26.6 penalties he was awarded by Liam Moloney.

The eight-year-old OBOS Quality 004 gelding, who was bred by Olympian Louise Lyons out of her Harlequin du Carel mare Dartans Valerie, has two EI110 (Open) victories to his credit this season. The bay has been entered in the CCI2*-S at Millstreet.

While no combination had a problem in jumping across the country, O’Donnell was the only rider to record a double clear inside the time, 0.8 of a time penalty over the fixed fences preventing Patrick Whelan from doing so on the second-placed Sportsfield Lumiere (29.2). However, the Wexford rider got on the scoreboard when landing the EI110 on his joint-winning dressage score of 27.5 with Paul Donovan’s Dermish Chill.

In this 23-runner class, the cross-country fences again caused no problems but some were caught by the clock including Patricia Ryan who dropped from joint-first to fourth when picking up four time penalties on Rock Eclipse (31.5). Her husband Michael finished second on his flat work mark with Via Victory (28.5) ahead of Ciara Power and Rossmount Aldi Hero who were a second over the time on the final leg for a total of 29.9.

Daragh Byrne was fifth with Rock Junior (31.8), who was making his debut at this level, while on board his father James’s 10-year-old Ramiro B gelding Kilcannon Ramiro, Byrne landed the EI110 (Open) in which all three starters completed on their dressage scores.

Locally based Sian Coleman comfortably recorded an all-the-way win in the 26-strong EI100 on Kate Jarvey’s highly regarded home-bred five-year-old Dirado mare Diamond Mistress, while, on her Eventing Ireland debut, Lara Lillingston was left in front in the EI90 which she won on her dressage score with the nine-year-old Jack Of Diamonds gelding Kangaroo Jack, who she previously campaigned in Pony Club events as a member of the Scarteen Branch.