THANKFULLY, as it was Viewing Day, the weather was much improved for Wednesday’s fourth round of the Stepping Stones to Success league at Wexford Equestrian, although there was quite a heavy shower during the TRI Equestrian pony producers’ class.

Having judged the cross-country phase seven days earlier, Gillian Kyle returned to assess dressage on Wednesday, with show jumping, which was again staged indoors, being judged by Barnadown-based Steven Smith, show jumping coach to the senior eventing team. Dag Albert, Horse Sport Ireland’s high performance director for senior eventing, overcame travel problems to judge the cross-country phase in the Derby arena.

Kyle’s first winner, on 69.1 marks, and the day’s first winner, on 192.6 in the Childeric Saddles four-year-old class was the Irish Sport Horse gelding BT Just Special. The brown son of I’m Special de Muze was ridden by Graiguenamanagh veterinary surgeon Diarmuid Ryan for his Kildare owner, Bridget Speirs, who bred the winner out of the thoroughbred mare Chitter Chatter (by Robins Des Pres).

“We broke him over the winter and he spends some time with me and some time at home with Bridget,” said Ryan.

“He’ll finish this league and then have a bit of a break before we get him ready for the Young Eventhorse Series and hopefully qualify for Dublin. We might try him in one or two of the jumping qualifiers as well.”

Ryan, who recently won the four and five-year-old class at the Kildare Performance Hunter Show at Punchestown on Dermot Molloy’s Cummer Dubh (second in the performance Irish Draught class at the RDS last August), has the usual diverse string of horses on the go and will be heading to the Balmoral Show (May 15th to 18th) with three Irish Draughts, two Connemaras and three working hunters.

Ellen Tracey finished second (187.5) with Miriam Bourke’s home-bred ISH gelding Enniskerry Step Up, a Balou du Rouet chesnut, who topped the scores in round two, and Charlie Boardman slotted into third (186.4) on Richard Ames’ ISH mare Belline Iroko Fusion, a dun by Tullabeg Fusion.

Five-year-old class winner Daniel Alderson and Seafield Celt at the penultimate leg of the Stepping Stone to Success series \ Tadhg Ryan / Bit-Media

Five-year-olds

All 20 starters completed in that class, as did all but one of the 25 in the Childeric five-year-old class, where the winner was the ISH gelding Seafield Celt (194.3 marks). Ridden by Kilmacthomas-based Daniel Alderson for near neighbour Kate Lenihan, the brown Celtic Hero BZ gelding was bred by the owner’s father Jerry, out of the Radolin mare Janis B.

“The Lenihans had this fellow on livery with me last year, when Kate rode him and I coached her,” said Alderson, who has three horses entered at Tyrella today and five others at Crecora tomorrow. The three due to run today are also entered in next week’s Ballindenisk international.

“However, she is very busy with work at present, so they keep him at home – as I’m full up here – and bring him up to me two or three times a week. The plan is to do the young event horse qualifiers with him and hopefully get to Dublin. Kate will then take the ride back.”

Over eight points adrift in second (186) came the busy Patrick Whelan with Hans Kuehnle’s bay ISH mare Tullibards Be The One (by Cormint – Miss Gui Khan, by Guidam), who finished just ahead of Robbie Kearns with Richard Ames’ week two winner, the ISH mare Belline Castle Ziggy (185.6), a bay daughter of Sligo Candy Boy.