JUST a week after the Area dressage at Laurel View, that same Ballyclare equestrian centre was the venue last Sunday for the Area eventing which was run this year by the Mid Antrims.

Disappointingly, just two competitors, both members of the Seskinore Branch, contested the PC100+ class where Sophia Williams ran out the easy winner on the 10-year-old Ringfort Cruise mare, Mongorry Cruise Molly.

Six teams contested the PC100 where the honours went to the We Roar quartet of the East Down Branch (121.5) ahead of a mixed squad (163.2) and the Iveagh Penguins (173.2).

The winning team comprised the very much in-form partnership of Abby Cummisky and the ISH gelding MJI Cabernet, a 12-year-old Natal bay owned by Branch District Commissioner Fran Rowlatt-McCormick; Rory Kinnear riding the 13-year-old Drumcross Spurs gelding Litchfield Foxtrot; Megan Carson with the ISH gelding Fair And Square, a similarly-aged son of S Creevagh Ferro; and Rachel Fletcher on the traditionally bred Lurgans Diamond Princess, a 14-year-old Carrick Diamond Lad mare.

The Killultaghs’ Noah Brown won Arena 1 at this level on Mr Diceman (37.8), an eight-year-old Ringfort Cruise gelding who finished ninth in the CCI2*-S at Millstreet in May under Noah’s brother Daniel, while the Arena 2 leaderboard was topped by the East Downs’ Megan Carson and Fair And Square (31.6). Also qualifying for the JCB Pony Club championships in England next month were the second-placed combinations of the East Downs’ Tom Rowlatt-McCormick with Mon Ami Beauvallet (38.7) and the Killultaghs’ Rosey Herron with Solitaire Rusty Brown (33.5).

Honours for Hannah

One of the three starters failed to finish in the PC90 (Open) where the honours went to the Mid Antrims’ Hannah Thompson whose total of 31.7 with the traditionally bred Jemeela Charm, a 12-year-old Loughry Lad mare, included four show jumping time penalties. This combination won the EI90 (Amateur) at Castle Irvine, Necarne in May.

The two teams heading to The Pony Club championships at PC90 level are East Antrim Black (102.4) and the Iveagh Dalmatians (106). The Mid Antrim Orchids were narrowly denied a qualifying spot when finishing third on 106.2.

The members of the winning team were Ella Lindsay and the eight-year-old Builder’s Delight gelding Arctic Light; Erin McCrea riding the 10-year-old OB Active mare Rubane Candy (on whom she won an EI90 at Tyrella in April); Katelyn Irvine and the Connemara mare Corha Delight, an 18-year-old daughter of Castleside JJ; and Mya McCullough on the Irish Draught mare Halleys Hero, a 12-year-old Eastern Hero grey.

McCrea and Rubane Candy won Arena A on 30.6 ahead of the Mid Antrims’ Kirstin Thom riding Rock Gem (31). In Arena B, it was the Iveaghs’ Emma Irwin who impressively came out on top with the British-bred mare PSH Let’s Tango (21.7), a 14-year-old bay by the Hanoverian Song Song Blue, with the Mid Antrims’ Jessica Mark placing second on Calinvella (35.8).

Six teams qualified at PC80 level for the regional championships in Scotland, headed by the North Down quartet of Evie McKeown riding Skyhills Proud Flyer, Jessica Byrne on Buck Rogers, Rachel Booth with Melview Chester and Zara Reid on Kingsman Dave. They went through on a total of 108.1 penalties followed most closely by the Iveagh Piebalds (116.7) and then the Iveagh Zebras (119.8).

While the top four in both arenas qualified, here we will just mention the winners who were the Killultaghs’ Elle West and the eight-year-old Mullins Celtic gelding Magherard Celtic (22.9) in Arena C and, in Arena D, Tullylagan’s Aoife Mallon riding the 20-year-old roan mare, Bay View Lady (33.3).

Parents and guardians of members in Branches in Area 17 have no rest today as the Area show jumping is taking place at The Meadows where the Iveaghs are the hosts.