THE McEntee sisters proved a force to be reckoned with in Cavan last Sunday taking first and second place in the TRM/Showjumpers Club Spring Tour Grand Prix.

Sixteen-year-old Katie, riding Stephex Stables Hip Girl, captured the top spot while older sister Emma and John Hoyne’s RHS Blue were runners-up.

Speaking after the win, their father John McEntee said: “Katie has just recently taken over the ride of Hip Girl and they have formed a really good relationship, the mare loves her and tries very hard for her, they have produced some good results of late.

“Emma and RHS Blue haven’t been together that long, that was the first Grand Prix they jumped together so that was a great result for them. There is always a good course up in Cavan and it’s never easy to win there so they are both delighted with how they got on.

“Emma is in college and Katie is in school at the moment so we will be staying in Ireland for the time being anyway, and will hopefully be able to follow the spring league.

“The plan now is for the girls to get to know their horses better and try to get the best from them and then see where that takes us. They are both nice horses so we are looking forward to more successes with them.”

A startlist of 33 combinations lined out for the sixth round of the Spring Tour. Just nine remained fault-free in round one to progress to the jump-off. Two collected a single time fault, eight had one fence down for four faults while a further two had a fence down plus time to finish on five. The remaining dozen notched up eight or more faults.

Sixteen-year-old Katie McEntee and the 13-year-old Swedish-bred mare Hip Girl (Hip Hop x Carthago) posted a time of 31.78 which would prove unbeatable. Her sister Emma and the nine-year-old Irish-bred RHS Blue (Cheers Cassini x Cruising Micky Finn), who was bred by Deirdre McGuckian, came closest to their time, stopping the clock just 0.51 slower in 32.29 for second place.

Third place went to the partnership who had won the second leg of the league in Cavan at the end of January - John Floody and Kathryn Magennis’ 10-year-old gelding Accidental Diamond (Diamond Roller x High Roller) in 33.01.

Floody also occupied fourth place, breaking the beam just a fraction slower in 33.02 with his other mount, Kevin and Geralyn Thompson’s Dutch-bred gelding Donevan Erkindale.

Junior rider Eoin Brennan guided Richard Bourns’ German-bred gelding Ninparo into fifth place, while Shannon Robinson, riding another German-bred, her mother Joy’s mare Chardonny into sixth.

The next round of the TRM Spring Tour takes place today (Saturday) in Wexford, while the eighth round will take place tomorrow in Portmore.

Eva O'Shaughnessy and Crvaghs Diamant Taille won the 1.25m in Cavan \ Laurence Dunne Jumpinaction.net

O’Shaughnessy lands 1.25m

Sunday morning’s 1.25m two-phase saw 45 go to post for the Stuart Clarke-designed track. Some 19 starters managed to keep a clean sheet over both phases so it came down to time to decide the top six.

Eva O’Shaughnessy and her own mare Crvaghs Diamant Taille (Glenanareen Prince x Promised Walk VII) took their advantage of being late to go to lay down the fastest time stopping the clock at 33.80 to secure the victory.

Michelle Kenny and Harry Marshall’s Dutch-bred gelding Barcelona took second place in 34.73. Declan McGarry and his own Belgian-bred eight-year-old Orphus DV were third.

The Irish Draught gelding SGS Welcome Louie (Oh Carol’s Rebel (ID) x Welcome Flagmount (ID)) was ridden into fourth place by owner David Gibson in 35.36.

Abigail Boland aboard Kahlua Du Karl (Ars Vivendi x Harlequin Du Carel) were fifth in 35.40, while Emma McEntee and Gortacar Stables seven-year-old gelding Gortacar Suspicious Minds (O.B.O.S Quality 004 x Cruising) completed the line-up in sixth place.

The 1.15 two-phase once again saw a junior rider come to the fore with Eoin Brennan and his 148cms pony GCS Daisy Lux (Olympic Lux) taking the victory from a large starting field of 52.

A second round time of 31.66 from the pair saw them snatch the win from closest rivals, amateur rider Jane Kealey and her own seven-year-old Danny Boy II (OKE Boy x Rockrimmon Silver Diamond) in 31.79.

Another amateur, riding another seven-year-old, this time Egle Zakaraite and Talbot Siss (Metropole x Chippison) took third place in 33.72.

Sheikh Samir Mirdad, riding his own Dutch-bred Mirdads Makkkah, finished in fourth in 34.04, while young rider Georgia Kellyand Atlantic Mist Z slotted into fifth. Eoin Brennan completed the top six taking sixth with his second mount another 148cms pony Glor Tire Cruise (Ars Vivendi x Cruising).