LUCINDA Webb Graham judged two sections of the Intro dressage at last Saturday’s final qualifier of the 2023 Baileys Horse Feeds flexi-event series at The Meadows, awarding seven combinations scores of 70% or more.

Four of these topped the 17-runner Section A leaderboard where Katie McKee fared best with Bear (74.5%) whose registered name is Water Paint. Bred by Akiko Watanabe, this eight-year-old skewbald gelding was campaigned under Eventing Ireland rules for the past two seasons by McKee who partnered him to victory in an EI90 at Tullymurry last July.

Erin Mathieson finished second with her mother Hilary’s 2018 Vittorio mare Dinky (71.8), aka DG Dusk Til Dawn, who they purchased as a just broken-three-year-old. Erin, who is also on the pony high performance training squad with the Connemara gelding Longwood Dawn, plans to both event and show jump Dinky this season.

In Section B, Webb Graham awarded her top mark of 72.5% to Suzi McClean and Butter, who have been consistently placed throughout the series, ahead of Tegan White-McMorrow and Woody (71), a five-year-old gelding by Ai Weiwei M2S. Butter, who was first produced by Nicola Martin, is a 10-year-old dun mare by the Irish Sport Horse stallion Gold N Silver. Look out for this combination in the new Grassroots section at EI one-days this season.

Dublin’s David Lee judged Section C where his winner was Co Donegal’s Sorcha Hanly riding Sharon Friel’s ISH gelding My Seafield Romeo (77.3%), a 13-year-old bay gelding by the Connemara stallion Seafield Silver Dun. This combination, who began competing in EI90 (P) classes in 2020, recorded three straight EI110 (J) victories last season.

This was a very competitive section as, on 76%, young Zara Reid finished second on the series third, Lola (aka Greylands Diamond Girl), while Nikki Cullen placed third with the 2023 series champion, Gemstone Ruby (71.8).

Successful at the same level seven days earlier, Jessica Knipe won Saturday’s sole Pre Novice class where she saw off 19 rivals. Vanda Stewart awarded Knipe a score of 74.3% for her test on the ISH gelding Shanaghan Timothy, a 14-year-old bay by Cyrano. Claire Ireland, who achieved her highest score of the season when finishing second here on her palomino gelding Goin’ For Gold (70), will today be presented with a special prize as the highest-placed Riding Club member in the series.

Stewart had only two combinations to judge in the Intermediate where her clear winner on 70% was Denis Currie riding Arodstown Aramis who finished second overall in the league.

In the earlier 18-strong Novice class judged by David Lee, Currie and his 18-year-old Shannondale Sarco St Ghyvan gelding recorded the highest score of the series, 83%. This saw them comfortably repel their nearest rivals, Abby Cummiskey and Jacob (75.5) who is known on the EI circuit as the 17-year-old Catherston Gold Storm gelding Crackerjack VIII.