TWO mares, both Dutch Warmbloods, won at Millstreet last weekend, one of them in the hands of Giovanni Ugolotti who was paying his second visit to the Co Cork venue.

The Italian’s victory in this 52-strong class is easily described as he led from start to finish on Florencina R whose total of 33.1 included six cross-country time penalties. Previously the ride of New Zealand’s Dan Jocelyn, under whom she competed twice at four-star level, the 13-year-old is by Verdi TN out of the Goodtimes mare Whitsuntide de Marsch.

Irish riders filled six of the top 10 places and the three immediately behind Ugolotti – namely Alannah Kelly on the Irish Sport Horse gelding Cooley Bounce (33.9), Godfrey Gibbons on the ISH mare Milchem Free Spirit (34.2) and Sam Watson with the ISH gelding Ballyneety Rocketman (34.7). While the first two riders completed on their dressage scores, Watson picked up 1.2 cross-country time penalties.

Nine combinations failed to complete including those who were lying second, third and fourth after dressage – Britain’s Eliza Bell on de Pleasure (28.6), Australia’s Sam Lyle with Bf Valour (28.9) and Japan’s Yoshiaki Oiwa on Calle 44 (29.4) – who all retired on the final phase.

Kelly, who lives close to Punchestown, could well have won the class on her second ride, the ISH gelding Stroke Of Genius, attributing the 13-year-old Jacks Delight bay’s lack of success down to mistiming across the country on her part. “I should have pushed on with him earlier,” said the 21-year-old rider who picked up 8.8 time penalties on the final phase for a completion score of 39.6.

Off injured at one stage over four years ago, Cooley Bounce, who was traditionally-bred in Co Dublin by Thomas Duffin out of the Master Imp mare Smart Fair Lady, showed his dislike for being sidelined by kicking Kelly in the face, an incident which resulted in a broken mandible, other facial and dental injuries and a bad concussion.

While she still regards her mother Caroline’s Grange Bouncer grey as “a bit of a brat”, Kelly has begun to forgive him as she has won European Young Rider team bronze (2022) and silver (2021) medals on the now 13-year-old who has just given her this second-place finish against senior riders. On Thursday, Kelly paid what she hopes will be her last visit to the dentist following that kick.

Going into her fourth and final year studying Equine Science at UCD, Kelly has been on work placement in recent months, spending some time in the Northampton yard of Irish international Susie Berry from where she competed both Cooley Bounce and Stroke Of Genius in British Eventing national competitions.

She is presently working with Ian Cassells who has been her coach for the past few years and very much hopes to be nominated for the Young Rider team with both horses who are now on a bit of a break.

Today, Kelly is competing down the levels at Clonmahon House on a new ride, the five-year-old Capri Van Overis gelding Cooley Capri Sun.