SUFFERING the increasing frustrations of other event riders, who have found the start of the Eventing Ireland season being pushed back, Godfrey Gibbons did have the satisfaction of winning the Sligo Candy Boy four-year-old class at the Claremorris Equestrian Centre last Sunday.

The Ballinasloe competitor, who only missed one round of this year’s Berts Properties starter series, run by the Western Region of EI, restricted his entries on Sunday to this class, which he won on DS Are You Jake (59 points) and finished fifth on DS Are You Murphy (48), both horses completing on their dressage scores.

The Gibbons pair were split by Sean Gormally on Lisbrogan Sarco (52.5), Tommy Considine riding Creevaghstables Hes Mint (52) and Aoife McCabe with Galwaybay Elliott (50.5). This trio likewise completed on the scores they were awarded by the day’s flat work judge, Meryl Connaughton.

The ISH gelding DS Are You Jake is owned by his breeder, Liam Lynskey of Derryronane Stud, who hopes this grey, and his other horses who, too, are due to start in Monday’s final, will also qualify through the Young Eventhorse Series for the young event horse classes at Dublin.

Not too surprisingly, Sunday’s winner is by Derryronane’s Holstein stallion DS Are You With Me. He is the fourth of five foals recorded on CapallOir out of the Moylough Bouncer mare, DS Baby Bouncer. The mare’s 2023 foal, a filly, is by DS Shotgun, who was third in Sunday’s six and seven-year-old class under Matt Gordon.