JUST a single rider represented the United States of America in the Eventing Ireland CCIYH2*-S at Millstreet last weekend, Cornelia Dorr, who completed on her dressage score to win the 23-runner class for six and seven-year-olds with the Zangersheide mare DHI Qyaracolle Z (32 penalties).

Making her international debut at the Co Cork venue, Ireland’s Rachael Thompson picked up 0.4 of a cross-country time penalty to place second with Govalent (32.7) while Britain’s Emily King, who had three rides in the class, finished third on the seven-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Master Louis (33.3).

Ireland’s Meabh Bolger topped the leaderboard of the ground jury, Ireland’s Faith Ponsonby (C) and Britain’s Douglas Hibbert (B), after dressage with MBF Back To Back on 26.9, the only sub 30-penalty score. However, that six-year-old Metropole gelding slipped to ninth with time penalties in both jumping phases for a total of 37.4.

The only horse who failed to finish was the Fraser Duffy-partnered Fernhill Muse who was withdrawn after dressage when lying 10th on 33.1. “He got a drop and couldn’t run,” reported Carol Gee mid-week of the very consistent six-year-old Mermus R gelding she owns with Clare Corballis. “He’s fine now and is running this weekend (in the EI110 at Kilguilkey House today).”

Dorr is based for the season at the Surrey yard of Australia’s Kevin McNab. “I’ve been here since the beginning of January,” revealed the 24-year-old. “I came over with three horses and my lovely groom Claire Ertel.

“DHI Qyaracolle Z, who’s six, is the youngest of the trio and has just moved up to two-star so I was delighted with her win. I’ve an eight-year-old named By-The-Sea, who is looking for an intermediate/three-star move-up soon, while my top horse, the 12-year-old mare Daytona Beach is a seasoned four-star horse with whom we’ve our sights set on a five-star run this fall.

“Ann Wehrle owns half of both Qyaracolle Z (Qyra) and By-The-Sea (Percy). She bought into Percy about two years ago and then together we bought Qyra (by Quinar Z out of Celiacolle Z, by Chellano Z) a few months later. Kevin found her in the UK with Ian and Heidi Woodhead as a four-year-old and thought she would suit me. It was one of those moments where all the pieces came together in the right way.

“We are all very excited to see where Qyra takes us starting with the six-year-old section of the World championships for young event horses at Le Lion in France this autumn which will be our big goal of the year.”

‘Over the moon’

Rachael Thomson was equally delighted with her second-place finish on Lisa Rosbotham’s ISH gelding Govalent who has really strengthened up this season and, on his most recent EI110 starts, won at Hazeldene before heading to Castle Irvine, Necarne where he finished second. The seven-year-old bay also placed third in the older performance horse championship at Balmoral Show.

“I’m absolutely over the moon!” said Thompson who is yard manager at the Rosbothams’ Keonan Stables. “I cannot believe how well we went; I’m completely overwhelmed! I thought that if we did a nice test and went double clear that we would finish in the top 10 but to come second was amazing.

“Govalent missed his five-year-old season so was a bit behind his age group last year. We’ll have to do a long format class next, probably at Kilguilkey, but we might do an intermediate before then at Rosanna. As all the Rosbothams went to the show jumping in Mullingar at the weekend, I travelled down to Millstreet with Clare Abbott and she had a great result as well.”

Govalent, who is by Keonan Stables’ Dutch Warmblood stallion Valent, was bred by Woods Rosbotham out of the multiple track winner Bellaney Jewel (by Roselier) and is thus a full-brother to Jewelent, who whom Abbott represented Ireland in last year’s European championships and to the eight-year-old mare Cooley Rosalent who, ridden by Oliver Townend, finished second and seventh on two visits to Le Lion d’Angers.