FIVE combinations appeared before judges Hanneke Gerritsen (The Netherlands) and Bernie Foley (Ireland) for the seven and eight-year-old championship last Sunday at CoilÓg, where the Leinster Region of Dressage Ireland hosted the final of this year’s Horse Sport Ireland dressage autumn development series.

Here, the honours went to Jennifer Rea and her ISH gelding Fermoyle Charles (75.6%), who narrowly got the better of Courtney Stuart and Favorino (75). Stuart, one of many Northern Region members who travelled down to Co Kildare on Sunday, also partnered her nine-year-old Follow Me gelding to win one of the show’s Advanced Medium classes.

Fermoyle Charles, an eight-year-old bay by S Creevagh Ferro, was bred in Co Sligo by Henry Gardiner out of the traditionally-bred Grade A mare Fermoyle Jane (by Captain Clover). Rea and the bay won the Category 2 Medium title at the DI National championship at the Mullingar Equestrian Centre in late September.

Caroline Lynch and DS Bouncer 007 won the four-year-old final at CoilÓg \ Louise O'Brien Photography

Four-year-old final

There were only two starters in the four-year-old final where Co Meath’s Caroline Lynch, riding DS Bouncer 007 (74.8), recorded a comfortable victory over Co Mayo’s Sinead McGrath and her traditionally home-bred Irish Sport Horse gelding Ballyj Casper (61.2), a bay by the Irish Draught stallion Black Hero out of a thoroughbred mare.

Lynch, who has just one other horse on the go, the eventing mare Quora, purchased the ISH gelding DS Bouncer 007 in June from Liam Lynskey, who stood the grey’s deceased sire Moylough Bouncer at his Derryronane Stud until the stallion’s death last year. The winner was bred in Co Tipperary by Aisling O’Brien and is one of only two foals registered on CapallOir out of the Castlecomer Q mare Duharra Silver Rose.

“This is one of the best horses I’ve had for a long time,” said Lynch who has also competed her winner in the HSI eventing autumn development series (and will be lining out again on him tomorrow back at CoilÓg). “I have been all over the country with him and he has really turned the corner in the last two weeks. He’ll have a break after Sunday.

Special

“He’s a bit special, and is of course for sale, but if I don’t sell him, I’ll do the Stepping Stones series on him next spring and take it from there,” concluded Lynch who on Saturday was also on the road, travelling with her farrier husband Anthony to watch their son Robert play football for the Man O’War club in north Co Dublin. Robert, who helped the team win their first title in 44 years this season, is a pharmacist based in Clontarf.