ABBEYLANDS won the team title at the Association of Irish Riding Clubs/Equipeople national eventing championships held at Killossery Lodge Stud on Sunday, August 28th.

The successful quartet comprised Chloe Kirwan (Carrigfadda Silver Lady), Eamon Moore (Briarhill Contender), Liz Power (Kilshanny Robert) and Susan Cahill (Bella Dona Diamond). They completed on a penalty score of 98.7 ahead of four-time winners Border Counties (99.4) and Benbulben (121.9).

Sadly, these were the only teams to compete with eventing having lost much of its prestige among AIRC members.

Ten years ago, 24 squads contested the team championship at Lisgarvan House where Border Counties finished third behind the winners Mosstown and Carne. Also in 2012, Celbridge’s James O’Haire won the Open championship with China Doll, the 2006 Warrenstown You 2 mare on whom he had claimed the young horse title 12 months previously and with whom he was to go on to compete at CCI4* level. The individual championship honours at Killossery went to Calliaghstown’s Sheena Boran riding the Connemara pony Blackwoodland Silver Birch, a 17-year-old gelding by I Love You Melody, in the three-runner RC 110/RC 120 and to Ashbrook’s Shauna Kidd on board Killossery Khaleesi in the 16-runner RC 100. This seven-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare by Diamond Roller was bred by the Glynn family at Killosery Lodge Stud out of the Master Imp mare, Killossery Wrens Nest.

There were six starters in the young horse championship won by Benbulben’s Jennifer Burke with her ISH mare Barbaras Dancer, a four-year-old by Je t’Aime Flamenco out of a Rich Rebel mare on whom she competed three times at EI90 level, twice completing on her dressage score.

At RC 90 level, where there were 35 starters, the honours went to Warrington’s Holly Conte with the ISH mare VHC Howitzer, a six-year-old daughter of WRS Elvis, while Horetown’s Sandra Dalton saw off 23 rivals to claim the RC 80 title on board the 18-year-old bay gelding, Strattonstown Banjo. The combined training competition for RC 70 members attracted just four starters of whom the winner was Coole Lane’s Wendy Murphy on her 18-year-old skewbald mare, Dee Girl.