WITH title sponsorship from Horse Sport Ireland, the Eventing Ireland National Championships were held at Lisgarvan House over the weekend of September 10th and 11th.

This was definitely a game of two halves with very heavy rain on Sunday trying its hardest to spoil the occasion but being prevented by doing so by the good draining land on the Corrigan family’s Co Carlow farm. The cross-country tracks were designed by Allen and Paul Brady.

It’s a great pity that some of the country’s senior riders don’t support these championships but, of those who did, Clare Abbott recorded a double at the highest levels. The Rio Olympian first landed the Connolly’s Red Mills EI120 title on Sarah Riley’s very consistent nine-year-old Nonstop gelding DHI No Fear, on whom she finished the season in 16th place in the CCIO4*-L at Boekelo in early October. At Lisgarvan, she also claimed the NutriScience EI115 (Open) championship riding her own eight-year-old Gatcombe gelding Mr Mighty.

Placed in both of those classes, Tokyo Olympian Sarah Ennis posted a narrow victory in the NutriScience EI110 championship on board Deirdre Connolly’s Irish Sport Horse mare OnceUponATime, a six-year-old home-bred by Barely A Moment. Also at this level, Co Cork’s Momo Sheehy won the Yeomanstown Stud Junior championship on TMX Herby, the European pony team gold and individual silver medallist Ben Connors landed the Jomiluti pony title with Cornafest Fred and Australian international Symone Brown claimed the Arachas amateur championship on board Merlot.

Sarah Ennis and OnceUponATime, winners of the EI110 at the HSI Eventing Ireland National Championships at Lisgarvan \ Louise O'Brien Photography

Four championships were also contested at a metre level and here the winners were Conor Leahy with Call On Cavalier (Hibernian Health Check EI100), Alex Byrne on Major Cross (Hibernian Healthcare EI100 (J)), Alex O’Hare riding Greylands Diamond Girl (EI100 (P)) and Caroline McQuillan on Belle Saru (EI100 (Amateur)). McQuillan and her unraced six-year-old mare by Sageburg also won the Treo Eile-sponsored award for the top-placed thoroughbred at the championships.

There were 21 starters in the Foran Equine EI90 championship won by British international Nicky Roncoroni on Rockalong, Erin McClernon and Sundance III saw off 21 rivals to claim the Amerigo Saddles EI90 (P) title and Ola Maguire partnered MBF Quick Decision to victory in the Aracchas EI90 (Amateur championship).

In 2023, the National Championships will be staged for the first time in Northern Ireland and already plans are well advanced to host the two-day fixture at Castle Irvine, Necarne on Saturday and Sunday, September 9th and 10th.