THE Leinster Region of Dressage Ireland ran the first leg of its Ark Equine Derby autumn/winter league over two days last weekend at Redhills Stud where even the organisers were surprised at the high number of entries.

On Saturday, which was devoted to Preliminary, Novice and Trailblazers’ classes, 130 tests were ridden with just short of 70 tests at Elementary level and upwards being ridden on Sunday. Noticeably over the two days, there were many ‘new’ riders competing, a few top dealers were present and there were some lovely young horses in action.

Until roughly 4.30pm, it was a mainly dry day on Saturday when the highest score (75.40%) was recorded in the Bróna O’Mahony-judged Preliminary BD15 by Category 2 rider Claire Farrell and the former racehorse Renneti, her 14-year-old French-bred gelding by Irish Wells.

In the DI18 at the same level, Maire Quinlan-Pluck (List 5) awarded her highest score to Bronte Collins (Category 2) and the Dutch Warmblood gelding N’Idemdito (70.83%). This five-year-old chesnut by For Ferrero is out of a Florencio mare out of a Burggraaf mare.

Monahan on top

Mai Monahan achieved the highest score (72.71%) in the 32-runner Novice BD23 judged by Lindsey Ilona Brady (List 5) on her two rides. With the higher collective mark, the Laois Pony Club member topped the leaderboard on her mother Penny’s Connemara gelding Carrickfad Cloud Break (45), a 10-year-old grey by Castle Gigolo, whose stable-companion, Saltre Imperial Commander (44), had to settle for second.

Just 16 combinations appeared before Ivor Harper (List 4) in the Novice DI24A where the top score was recorded by Dörthe Ffrench on her Irish Sport Horse gelding Ballinglen Dreamer (72.50%), a six-year-old bay son of Financial Reward.

Harper also judged the opening three-runner Introductory Test B, won by Laura Foster riding the 16-year-old Connemara gelding Kitkat Duncan (69.12%), and five of the six Trailblazers classes. The best supported of these was the Under 12s Preliminary where Pippa Dunne saw off four rivals when achieving a score of 70% on board the 12-year-old 128cms Welsh gelding Jacob’s Dream.

Five riders also came before Lindsey Ilona Brady in the Junior Preliminary class in the same section and here the honours were claimed by Caoimhe O’Donnell and Greylands Razzle Dazzle (66.07).

Rea double

All could enjoy a bit of a lie-in on Sunday morning as the action didn’t get underway until 11am but, unfortunately, the weather wasn’t as pleasant as on Saturday. The day’s judging duties were divided between Donie McNamara (List 1) and Michael Moore (List 2a).

Riding her ISH gelding Fermoyle Charles, an eight-year-old bay by S Creevagh Ferro, Jennifer Rea recorded a double in the Medium BD73 (73.38%) and the Advanced Medium (FEI Junior team test) (66.67); there were five starters in both classes.

Sue Smallman saw off one rival to win the FEI Prix St George (68.82%) and three to land the FEI Intermediate I (68.97) with her Dutch Warmblood gelding Gloriant H, a 12-year-old by Uphill.

Kate Dwyer recorded an uncontested victory in the Advanced BD101 (65.81%) with the Dermot Cannon-bred Harmony before landing the second Advanced class, the four-runner BD102 (72.50) on the nine-year-old Blue Hors Hotline mare.

Sadhbh O’Toole topped the scores in the Advanced Medium FEI Junior individual test with Dwyer’s 11-year-old ISH gelding Vaalserberg (66.47), another son of the Dutch Warmblood sire S Creevagh Ferro.

On a score of 64.43%, Killian Gaffney partnered his ISH gelding My Bishopshill Rolex, a Cougar six-year-old, to victory in the Donie McNamara-judged three-runner Medium DI77.

At Elementary level, 14 combinations appeared before McNamara in the DI51 where he awarded his highest score (69.26%) to Kim McCann riding her 15-year-old Harlequin du Carel mare Bray Summer Breeze. Two less performed their BD53 test in front of Michael Moore whose winner was Aimee Oliver and her Dutch Warmblood gelding Love The Difference (71.18).

Clodagh Walshe recorded uncontested victories in the two FEI Grade 1 Para classes with her Connemara mare Knockavalley Mai, a 13-year-old grey by Kingstown Fionn, and Jodie Scully did likewise in the two FEI Children on Horses classes with her 17-year-old piebald gelding Lassban Silhouette who she is competing in England this weekend.

In the young horse classes, there were wins for Iris Walshe and her five-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Nirvana RH (74%), for Andrea Colfer and the six-year-old part-bred Welsh gelding Haylemma Lady’s Bue Eyed Boy (68.20) and for Jennifer Egan with the Sorrell Klatzko-bred seven-year-old ISH gelding Don Juans Doll (64.85).