GALES, horizontal rain and tractor towing were the overwhelming themes of the EI Northern Region’s first leg of the TopSpec Amateur Eventing league at Tyrella (1) recently. Nonetheless, 48 amateur combinations braved the elements and competed for league points in between soakings.

Joy Lindsay decisively took the TopSpec CNC*A class, leading from start to finish with her eye-catching Doranstown Halo gelding Lassban–Au–Revoir. Their closest rival, veterinary surgeon Kate Keenan, made the trip up from Dublin with her 17.3hh Countmein worthwhile by stealing the blue ribbon when the ever-consistent Denis Curie recorded a rare 20 penalties cross-country with Being Strait. Dressage Judge Lynsey Craig was impressed by the ever-improving amateur dressage standards, with over a third of the class recording sub-30 scores in a hotly competitive TopSpec EI 100A class.