EAVAN White had a busy day as overseer/troubleshooter at the Route point-to-point outside Portrush last Saturday but made sure she had time to present the winner’s trophy following the five-year-old geldings’ maiden which was jointly sponsored by Tattersalls National Hunt and the White family’s locally based Maddybenny Camp Site.

The result was a good one for the wider equestrian community in the northern region as the winner, Castle Daragh, is trained by Ballymoney farrier Paul McAleese.

The Watar bay is owned by former event and show horse rider Beverley Caves whose husband, Paul, is Master of the Mid Antrim Hunt while his father, Tommy, is honorary Master of the same pack.

First pointer

Disappointingly for Bev and Paul, who were on hand when Castle Daragh failed to impress in three outings in the spring (ran for Jamie Sloan, pulling up twice before finishing fifth of eight in an adjacent maiden at Broughshane), they were away on holiday in the Canaries last Saturday.

However they listened to the commentary together on loudspeaker on the former’s phone.

“I would often start off young horses for Paul (McAleese) but this is the first point-to-pointer we’ve owned ourselves,” said Bev who was much admired as a very stylish and sympathetic rider when competing under Eventing Ireland rules.

“We weren’t going to run him again after his runs in the spring but Paul, who has been a very good friend of ours for many years, convinced us to do so and, of course, we’re now delighted we listened to him.”

Before heading away to Lanzarote, Paul Caves was show jumping in Cavan on the Grade A gelding CAFRE Quality Clover and the first-season gelding Quality Quin who are both sired by the Oldenburg stallion OBOS Quality 004.

The five-year-old Quality Quin impressed when finishing fourth under Paul in an EI90 class at Finvoy early last month on his sole start in an affiliated event.

As the owners were absent on Saturday, Eavan presented the winner’s trophy to Bev’s good friend Sheelagh Canty who is secretary of the Mid Antrims’ supporters club and does tremendous work organising shows, the hunt ball, etc.

Also accepting one of the prizes was 13-year-old Ross McAleese who helps ride out the four pointers his father has in work at present.