THE inaugural Eventing Ireland grassroots championships were held last Sunday at Lisgarvan on the final day of the first international event at the Corrigan family’s Co Carlow venue.

The championships were a concept developed by EI’s head office and approved by the board to shine the spotlight on the organisation’s true grassroots athletes. There was excellent sponsorship, course walks conducted by Britain’s Laura Collett and Hong Kong’s Nicole Pearson and all who completed were presented with rosettes.

Most riders were unused to show jumping after cross-country and the arena team was kept busy as a lot of coloured poles hit the deck.

“I probably won’t do them next year, as I would like to upgrade my horse, but I thought it was a very good idea,” said Claire O’Dwyer who comfortably claimed the Semalease EI100 title, as she recorded the only double clear on her traditionally-bred Irish Sport Horse gelding, Knockmullen Lad (31.3 penalties).

On 28.8, Caroline Lynch and Quora led the nine-runner field following Jean Halpenny’s judging of the dressage phase but they had a problem over the Paul Brady-designed cross-country course (as did five other combinations, one retiring and one being eliminated) and also had a fence down show jumping.

“I bought this fellow three years ago to share with my elder daughter Hope,” revealed O’Dwyer, “but, while she does a small bit of registered jumping with him, I regularly compete as an AA amateur. I run a riding school in Ratoath, sharing facilities with my husband, Ronan, who runs a pre-training yard. I also coach a lot with the Ward Union Branch of the Pony Club and was at Tattersalls on Saturday where our children, Poppy (13) and Toby (11), were competing on day one of the IPC national eventing championships.

“I regard eventing as my day off so Ronan, who hunts every Tuesday and Friday with the Wards during the season, had to look after the pair on cross-country day while I headed to Lisgarvan.

"My fellow is scopey, honest and genuine and, hopefully, should have no problem upgrading though we will stay among the amateurs.”

The 11-year-old Knockmullen Lad, who was winning for the third time this season, is by the Dutch thoroughbred Watermill Swatch. He was bred in Co Carlow by Martin Kirrane senior out of the Castana mare Pride Of Knockmullen.

Impressive

David Lee judged the Omega Naturals EI100 (J) grassroots championship on Sunday and he must have been impressed by the flat work of 14-year-old Maya Byrne with Wolf Pack as he awarded the combination a score of 19.8 penalties on which they finished and which won them an Omega Naturals-sponsored dressage lesson with Sorrell Klatzko. In this 12-runner class, Niamh McBarron also recorded a double clear to finish second with Lord Moyola (29). This was a fourth win of the season for Byrne and Kim O’Gorman’s 11-year-old home-bred gelding by Harlequin du Carel. The bay is out of the Cavalier Royale mare Valencia (CIC3*) who Byrne’s mother Rita sourced for O’Gorman. The latter coaches the young rider as does Fiona Hayes (dressage). The winners’ immediate targets are the EI100 (J) at next weekend’s EI national championships followed by the CCI1*-Intro at Ballindenisk.

Three combinations were eliminated in the 12-runner Omega Naturals EI100 (P) championship won by Sophie Swain on her mother Catherine’s 12-year-old ISH mare Here Comes Trouble.

Swain and the Aileen Cartwright-bred Gwennic de Goariva grey completed on their winning dressage score (20.5) ahead of Molly Egan and Divine Fernando (23.5) who, too, finished up on the flat work mark they were awarded by Faith Ponsonby.