THREE Dressage Ireland-affiliated shows were held last weekend with the South East Region staging their second of the year at Spruce Lodge.

Here, Tara Hayes recorded a hat-trick of victories with the most notable of her wins being that in the Preliminary BD17A on the home-bred Irish Sport Horse mare Sandora BS (82.07%).

This six-year-old bay by the Westfalian stallion Spielberg is out of the unraced Zagreb mare Silver Grouse who has bred two winners on the track.

Ellen Lonergan also struck three times with her highest score of 70.36 coming in the Elementary DI55 on her Dutch Warmblood gelding Lysander, a six-year-old bay by Son De Niro.

While his usual partner, international event rider Brian Morrison, was show jumping in Spain, Rachel Dowley temporarily took over the ride on Marie Symington’s ISH gelding Global Mentor who she guided to victory (66.97) in the Medium DI67.

The Co Kilkenny producer also won the second Medium class, the BD73, but here, on 63.09, the 11-year-old Mermus R bay, who has competed up to CCI4*-L level, had to settle for second behind Dowley’s own Dutch Warmblood gelding Insticator BS (63.68), a nine-year-old son of Florencio.

Rachel Dowley and Global Mentor, winners of the Medium DI67 at Spruce Lodge \ Louise O'Brien Photography

Highest score

Anne Marie Dunphy was another multiple winner, recording her highest score in the Advanced Medium on her ISH gelding LEB Hugo (71.76), a nine-year-old by Woodlander Rockstar.

The Northern Region, who will be hosting DI’s national winter finals at Castle Irvine, Necarne early next month, staged a leg of their own seasonal league at Connell Hill on Sunday when six riders recorded doubles.

Denise Kelly Rice’s came at Preliminary level with Loughshore Mr Hamlet (67.92% in the BD19), a nine-year-old chesnut by Cashel, and with Pamela Combs Wilson’s Westfalian mare Forvanna (75 in the BD17A), a seven-year-old daughter of Formidable.

Mark Robinson won both Novice classes with Deborah Burns’s Hanoverian gelding Master Caledonia, a nine-year-old by Metall while Louise Clelland’s brace came in Elementary company on her 14-year-old Appaloosa gelding, Siraxta Maverick.

One rival

Laragh O’Grady saw off one rival to win the Prix St George with Mullentine Emerald Wolf Tone before she and her 11-year-old ISH gelding by Jaguar Mail posted an uncontested victory in the Intermediaire I.

There were uncontested doubles in the Para division. Geraldine Lowry won the Grade IV classes on Loughmourne Diamond with Lucinda Blakiston Houston doing likewise at Grade V level on Beltrim Double G.

Clonshire EC was the venue for Sunday’s North Munster Region show where the senior pairing of Jackie Dow and her easily identifiable Arab/Connemara-cross gelding, Juno Tintreach, made their seasonal debuts.

In the short arena Preliminary DIP5A, Dow and her 20-year-old grey son of Prince Of Lightning scored 69.46% which was only bettered by Martha Buckley and her ISH mare, Hollys Adventures (71.43), an eight-year-old chesnut by Near Dock.

In the long arena, Dow and Juno Tintreach and Virginie Bibes on board the Dutch Warmblood gelding Kantador, a seven-year-old by Googel, both scored 68.21 with Bibes claiming the honours thanks to her higher collective marks (63 to 61).

The nine-runner Preliminary BD17A was won by Rebecca McGrath and the German riding pony Terbofens Queen Two (71.21), a six-year-old chesnut mare by Quarterback’s Junior.

Julia Hammenberg recorded an Elementary double with her Dutch Warmblood gelding Kensington By Tacx, a seven-year-old chesnut by Jazz.