WESTMEATH’s Ted O’Leary boosted his prospects of selection for the European Junior team when winning the CCIJ2*-L at Millstreet last week with his new ride for this season, Paula Stammschroer’s Master Swatch.

As the British Junior championships were taking place at Belsay last weekend, the Co Cork class listed 18 Irish combinations who rode their dressage tests on the Thursday, went cross-country on Friday and show jumped on Saturday.

The ground jury comprised Ireland’s John Lyttle (C) and Marie Hennessy (E) whose leader after dressage was Gearoid Bolger on board Into Mischief (30 penalties) and the Waterford rider remained at the head of affairs going into the final phase.

On Friday, Amelia McCarthy, who had been lying fifth, dropped to 14th having missed a flag at fence 10, a brush shoulder, with Finsceal Endeavour, while the very much in-form pairing of Tom Nestor and Cooley Diamond Dancer dropped from sixth to 16th with a glance-off at the same obstacle.

Not one combination recorded a clear over the James Tarrant-designed show jumping track on Saturday, with most of the problems coming early on the course.

Lying fourth at the start of the day, O’Leary had one fence down with Master Swatch but improved a place when Matthew Love had three down with DSL Allegra, moved up another spot when Alex Connors also lowered three fences on OLS King Aragon and then found himself at the head of affairs when Bolger picked up eight penalties with Into Mischief.

“It was great, it was amazing to win and now I would really like to get on the team again as I am in my last year in Juniors,” said O’Leary who has just completed Fifth Year at Clongowes and turns 18 next month. “The cross-country course was brilliant, as it always is at Millstreet, and the presentation of the fences was fantastic. However, it was difficult enough with some very tough lines.

“Stephanie (Stammschroer) rode ‘Swatch’ in the four-star-long at Blenheim last year, then he had time off before coming to us over the winter. He came back into work at the start of the year and this was our fifth outing together. It has been really nice to get the ride on ‘Swatch’ and I was delighted that Paula was at Millstreet to see us win.

“I would like to thank my coaches Gerald Bloomer and Michael McNally for all their help and also, of course, my parents (Wendy and Eddie) as it definitely wouldn’t be possible without them,” concluded O’Leary whose support group at Millstreet included his grandmother Trish Hyde, the biggest fan of all her grandchildren who competed at the event.