THANKFULLY the Northern Region event at Vesey Lodge went ahead as scheduled last Saturday when Ian and Alison Wilson welcomed all to their home north of Belfast.

Farm manager Noel Fitzpatrick and his team had the grounds in pristine order while, working with and building for the Region’s FEI Level 2 cross-country course designer Adam Stevenson, he produced some amazingly decorated fences featuring cows, a bronze deer, a giant tennis racket and concrete tennis balls, a ‘knight’ in shining armour and an old fashioned pump at the water complex. Looking well, our old friend, the skeleton, made his usual appearance in the bottom of the coffin fence.

Noel enlisted the help of his wife Noreen and daughter Holly in preparing the fences while Mags Oleszek and her partner, Lukas, devoted many hours to fence painting. The decoration of fence one, the Ash Hollow log, was left to Alison Callion of the sponsor Ash Hollow Equestrian outside Omagh. Among the many people thanked on Saturday were the Wilsons’ neighbours, Eddie and Jan Martin, whose adjoining fields were included in the cross-country phase.

On song

There have been many birthday greetings conveyed over the airways at events during the years but, last Saturday, Claire Palmer, regional scorer along with Richard McCracken, had hers celebrated in song led by the control team’s Ann Cully. A solicitor by profession, Ann is a member of the Pro Bono Choir, a fund-raising choir comprising solicitors, barristers and others connected with the justice system in Northern Ireland.

The control team and scorers had little to trouble them in the opening EI110 (Open) as just two went to post. Lucy McIlroy led throughout on the very consistent Irish Sport Horse gelding Major Blackwhose total of 30.9 included 4.4 cross-country time penalties. James O’Haire picked up time penalties in both jumping phases with Penny Guinness’ home-bred ISH mare Liberty Belle (45.9).

McIlroy and her mother Angela’s traditionally-bred 13-year-old by Imperial Hights are due to start in the EI115 (Open) at next weekend’s National Championships in Kilguilkey House where O’Haire and Liberty Belle will take on EI120 company.

McIlroy was the sole representative of Smith Brothers Eventing competing at Vesey Lodge on Saturday as most of the team had travelled over to the international at Blair Castle.

Bright future

Adam Haugh landed a double last Saturday from his two rides at Vesey Lodge where, in the 11-runner EI110, he recorded the only show jumping clear on FJK Back To The Future who has finished fifth or better in seven national starts this season.

With the sole sub 30-penalty dressage score awarded by Coreen Abernethy, Haugh led from the outset on his six-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding and, despite the addition of 6.8 time penalties across the country, maintained his position at the top of the leaderboard on a total of 31.1.

Co Meath’s Stephanie Stammschroer finished second on the six-year-old OBOS Quality 004 gelding Brownstown Theodore (39.3) who lowered one of the coloured poles on Aaron McCusker’s influential show jumping track.

Faster across the country, Neil Morrison and the thoroughbred mare Fire And Fury claimed third place ahead of Susana Mullen and EE Parlanti Cruise although both combinations completed on 41.5. Anna Cox and Annaghmore Versace, who were lying joint-second after dressage on 33 penalties, were automatically eliminated when picking up 20 penalties in the show jumping ring.

FJK Back To The Future, who finished second last time out at The Clare and has earned six Showjumping Ireland points from just two starts this season, is a grey son of Future Trend.

He was bred by William Walsh out of the Uncle Paul mare Grey Day.

Sweet victory

The result was a lot tighter in the 24-runner EI100 where, again, Haugh posted the only sub 30-penalty score in the dressage phase judged by Will McAuley, this time on Elamo Sugar Candy Kisses.

This seven-year-old ISH mare had a fence down show jumping for a total of 33 penalties.

Just two combinations completed on their first phase scores, Lisa Tapiainen and Political Coever Up (34.5), a 13-year-old Coevers Diamond Boy gelding who finished second on his first Eventing Ireland start of the season, and Sarah Sproule and the Dutch Warmblood gelding Albert VI (34) who were competing hors concours.

With four show jumping penalties on their seasonal debuts, Co Meath’s Leila Byrne and her father James’ five-year-old home-bred mare Twentypark Diamond (35) placed third ahead of Stephanie Stammschroer and Brownstown Hennessy (35.3) who, having his third start, likewise left one pole on the ground.

There were three eliminations in this class – one for 20 show jumping penalties, one for missing a flag on the final phase and one for jumping the wrong element at fence eight, ‘The Balls of a Jump’.

The Sligo Candy Boy-sired Elamo Sugar Candy Kisses was bred in Co Antrim by Morris Smyth and Elaine Mason out of the British thoroughbred Krystal Tip (by Super Sunrise) who won two of her seven point-to-point starts.

In its further removes, this is the family of, among others, the high-class National Hunt winners Royal Bond and Morley Street.

As with most inmates in Haugh’s yard, both winners are for sale. “I might give one or two of my young horses another run but the mare who won on Saturday has probably done enough,” said the Kilkeel-based producer.

“If he’s not sold, Back To The Future may do a bit of jumping.”