HALF of the eight-runner field in the Yeomanstown Stud EI110 (J) championship at last weekend’s Horse Sport Ireland/Eventing Ireland national championships at Lisgarvan Stud recorded clear rounds in the show jumping ring on Saturday and this quartet topped the final leaderboard.

Three of them did so on their Vanda Stewart and Bernie Webb-awarded dressage scores, headed by Momo Sheehy and her father Morgan’s Dutch Warmblood gelding TMX Herby, a Zirocco Blue VDL 10-year-old on whom she won twice at the same level in May. The Co Cork combination started their season together at Blackstairs (2) in early April when they made a winning debut at EI100 level.

Previously campaigned at CCI4*-L level by The Netherlands’ Tim Lips, TMX Herby is among the entries for next week’s CCI2*-L at Ballindenisk. Julia Adams finished second on Sunday with Milchem Ardeo (32.4), just ahead of Matthew Kelly riding Fanlehane Nariah (35.3). Niamh Kirwan and Global Javall Gold led after dressage on 28.6 but had a pole down show jumping and amassed 26.4 cross-country time penalties.

Byrne success

Four riders had lower scores than Alex Byrne following Patricia Creighton and Jean Halpenny’s judging of the dressage phase of the Hibernian Healthcare EI100 (J). Crucially, however, Byrne and her mother Debbie’s ISH gelding Major Cross, a seven-year-old by Insatiable, remained on 28.8 penalties throughout to record their second success as a partnership.

Byrne has just the one horse to compete and the 17-year-old’s achievement in winning this title is all the more remarkable as she plays hockey at inter-provincial and international level. While her equestrian counterparts were competing throughout July, Byrne was playing at centre back for Hockey Ireland’s Under 18 girls’ team in a tournament in the Catalonian city of Terrassa, north-west of Barcelona.

The inter-pro season gets under way in October but, before then, Byrne and Major Cross will line-out in the CCI1*-Intro at Ballindenisk where, among their rivals, will be Alex Connors and King-Paola who, with a double clear inside the time, were narrowly beaten into second on Sunday on 28.9.

Four show jumping penalties resulted in Tuula Keary placing third on Shadow Shannondale (29.8) while the dressage winners on 25.4, Abby Cummiskey and Crackerjack VIII, also lowered a pole and picked up four cross-country time penalties to finish seventh (33.4).