THERE was a small entry for Sunday’s first round of the Eventing Ireland Western Region’s autumn combined training series at Milchem Equestrian and, given the morning’s very heavy rain, it wasn’t too surprising that some combinations failed to meet their engagements.

However, the first class at Ralph Conroy’s Tynagh venue didn’t start until 11am and the weather picked up remarkably throughout the day. Seven riders went home with a win to their credit, some scoring quite comprehensively, with the three EI80 classes attracting the largest fields.