IT was all change at the top of Dressage Ireland late in the 2023 season, when it was announced at the annual general meeting of the organisation, on November 8th, that Marguerite Kavanagh was stepping down as chair following a term of office, which she took up roughly three and a half years previously, serving on the board for six.

Under Kavanagh’s watch, there was a revamp of the DI website, cost-cutting exercises were implemented, as was a health and safety review.

A major part of her legacy in promoting the sport was to make dressage more inclusive.

“It is the one sport whereby young, mature, able and Para and neurodiverse athletes can compete and participate in and it’s also gender neutral,” said Kavanagh in her chairperson’s report and closing address.

Mark Ruddock and Lucinda Blakiston Houston were elected as the chairperson and vice chair of DI, with Jane Averil, Eilish Smith and Aisling Deverell joining the incumbent board members Jane Whitaker, Simone Hession, Christine Newton, Dane Rawlins and Petra Larkin. One of Ruddock’s first initiatives was to organise a members’ survey.

While board members were aware in advance, Dermot Cannon announced at the AGM that he was stepping down as chairman of the very active judges’ committee, which organised training and examinations during the year, as well as the two-day judges’ gala at the end of October.

Earlier in the season, tempted by a position with Dublin City Council, Jane Averil vacated the job as office administrator with DI to be replaced by former board member, Claire Sedgeman.

Kevin Acres and Ganesh were crowned the new national champions at the Dressage Ireland National Championships in Mullingar \ Louise O'Brien Photography

New national champion for year-round discipline

DRESSAGE is practically a year-round discipline now in Ireland, with the South Munster Region getting the 2023 Dressage Ireland-affiliated season underway on Sunday, January 8th, while four shows were held over the weekend of December 9th and 10th, as the campaign drew to a close.

In common with other equestrian sports this year, the DI season was affected at times by the weather, which forced postponements and cancellations. In the south of the country, the final of the Childeric Saddles league, which is run by both regions in Munster, has been deferred to Sunday, January 21st, having been called off due to frost on its scheduled date of December 2nd.

While organisers have to take into account all other sporting events, equestrian and non-equestrian, taking place in their local areas, it is disappointing to still see clashes between close Regions some weekends, which doesn’t help the number of entries at either show. This is particularly so at the higher levels, with many uncontested wins being recorded throughout the country.

Despite the weather – which was cold, wet and windy at times – the action continued over the three days of the Dressage Ireland national championships, September 22nd to 25th, at the centrally-located Mullingar Equestrian Centre, a new venue for the organisation’s showpiece fixture.

Catering for Trailblazers to those competing at Grand Prix level, and taking the different rider categories into account, almost 50 titles were won over the extended weekend.

Dubliner Kevin Acres was crowned the new national champion, when landing the featured Equine International Shipping FEI Grand Prix class on Con McCarthy’s Dutch Warmblood gelding Ganesh (69.725%). 15-year-old Sophia Doheny finished reserve here with her mother Louise’s 18-year-old Westphalian gelding Enrico (63.75), just ahead of Sorrell Klatzko riding her Westphalian gelding Turbo (63.37), a 10-year-old bay son of Totilas.

While Acres spoke at the time of plans for Ganesh, the 12-year-old Jazz bay has since been advertised for sale or lease so the rider, who is based at the McCarthy family’s Greenogue Equestrian Centre in Baldonnell, Co Dublin, will concentrate on the yard’s young horses.

“That’s basically what I’ve been doing since the championships,” reported Acres. “I’ve also been doing a lot of teaching, while we have horses in for schooling.”

Among those who Acres coaches on a regular basis is Finn Breen, who competes in Novice Trailblazers’ company with Dressage Ireland and at Junior level with the Newcastle Lyons Branch of the Irish Pony Club on Goldengrove Morsecode, and local five-star international event rider, Ian Cassells, particularly when the latter is on board Lucy McCarthy’s Greenogue Gigi.

Acres was at the world young event horse championships at Le Lion d’Angers, France, in October to work-in Cassells and the home-bred Je t’Aime Flamenco mare prior to their test in the CCI2*-L for six-year-olds.

“If Ganesh is sold, so be it,” said Acres. “I’ll then concentrate on the young horses we have here and aim to bring them up through the levels. Currently, the plan is to get them out competing early next year in Dressage Ireland competitions.”

It would be impossible to list all the national championships winners here, but there is room to mention that the team titles were won at senior level by the Midland and Western Region’s Cassandra Morris, Niamh Macken, Nina Reinhold Molloy and Tracy Murphy and, at Junior level, by the Northern Region’s Ellen McDonald, Eve Adair, Hollie Donnan and Lucy Donnan.

Earlier in the season, there was a disappointing turnout for the national winter finals at Castle Irvine, Necarne, with the distance to the Co Fermanagh venue, the cost of living crisis and the lack of qualifying opportunities between the end of November 2022 and the end of January 2023 being cited as reasons for this.

The Regions continue to run training clinics for their members, as well as regular shows, leagues, finals and end of season championships, plus events such as the Wild Atlantic Dressage Festival, the Botanica International Leinster Dressage Festival, the South East Region Dressage Classic, all of which are deserving of support, as they require a lot of organising from committees comprised of volunteers.

HSI Autumn series could be further developed

Michelle Gilligan and Avalon Outkast won the five-year-old pony final at CoilÓg \ Louise O'Brien Photography

THIS year’s Horse Sport Ireland dressage autumn development series, staged in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, was run as a league with four qualifying legs around the country (two in the Northern Region) and a final, which was held on Sunday, November 5th, at CoilÓg.

Hosted there by the Leinster Region of Dressage Ireland, and run during the fourth leg of their ARKequine Derby league, the final attracted a small number of entries, with none at all in the six and seven-year-old pony class. There were four combinations forward, including one unregistered animal, in the five-year-old pony final, which was won by Ballinasloe’s Michelle Gilligan riding her Connemara stallion, Avalon OutKast (62.59%), a five-year-old cream son of Bog Mac Bobby.

In the horse section, just two of the three entries in the four-year-old final met their engagement with the win comfortably going to Rathmolyon’s Caroline Lynch and her Irish Sport Horse gelding DS Bouncer 007 (74.80%). The owner/rider also competed her Moylough Bouncer grey in the HSI eventing autumn development series, as did Co Wicklow’s Melanie Wrynn with her ISH gelding Ardeo On Q, a bay by OBOS Quality 004 on whom she won the seven-strong five-year-old dressage final on a score of 72.8.

Six combinations contested the six-year-old final, where the honours went to Denise Kelly Rice with the progressive and eye-catching Forvanna (74.8%), a Westphalian mare by Formidable, who she produces at her Moorhill Stables outside Newry for American owner Pamela Wilson. The five-runner seven and eight-year-old final saw Co Cork’s Jennifer Rea and her ISH gelding Fermoyle Charles (75.6), a 2018 son of S Creevagh Ferro, record a narrow victory over Co Down’s Courtney Stuart riding Favorino (75).

This welcome and appreciated series, as well as those in eventing and show jumping, would benefit from being announced/advertised earlier in the year. Rachel Dowley, a noted producer of young dressage horses, competed at the qualifying legs at Danescroft and Ballindenisk but, due to prior commitments, couldn’t attend the final.

Tough competition in AIRC dressage

THIRTEEN squads lined out for the team competition at the Association of Irish Riding Club (AIRC)/Connolly’s Red Mills’ national dressage championships held at Barnadown in August, following a qualification process, which saw roughly 60 clubs bid to secure a place at the final through the Association’s eight regions.

The title was won for the third time by Hollybrook, which, on this occasion, was represented by Delphi MacWhite on the former four-star eventer Hollybrook High In The Sky, a 21-year-old traditionally-bred Irish Sport Horse gelding by Puissance, Margot Brama Labberte riding the similarly-aged ISH gelding Kilpatrick Cruise (by Ricardo Z) and Lisa Devine with the traditionally-bred ISH gelding Myceltic Imposter, a 24-year-old son of Puissance.

The trio of Hollybrook members contributed to their winning total of 425.54%, ahead of the best three scores from the four-rider teams representing Annaharvey (422.96) and Carne (421.44).

The former three-star eventer Tullineaskey Hi Ho, a 21-year-old ISH gelding by Ard Ohio, was partnered to victory in the Medium championship by Tabitha Millar Hagerty, whose fellow Twinfort member, Owen Smyth, claimed the Elementary title on board his Hanoverian gelding Dark Site, a 20-year-old son of Don Frederico, who campaigns at the same level with Dressage Ireland. Tinahely’s Rita Naughton filled the top two places in the Novice championship with the Oldenburg mares Action’s Bond Girl W, a six-year-old by Action Blue and Diamant’s Babalou, a five-year-old by Dembele L, who have earned 146 and 74 DI points respectively.

The Preliminary championships were won by Annaharvey’s Matilda Falkede (RC3) on the ISH gelding Darrara Shanbeg, a 14-year-old bay by VDL Arkansas, Hollybrook’s Lisa Devine (RC2) on Myceltic Imposter and Greenvalley’s Ruth Abbott (RC1) with the traditionally-bred ISH gelding CCS Banksy Moon, a 13-year-old grey by Hillviewfarm Superstar. Killcarrick’s Claire Maher landed the young horse class on her ISH gelding Tinnakill Jackpot, a five-year-old grey by Brock House Buster.

As usual, The Irish Field sponsored the dressage section at the two-day AIRC Festival in Mullingar where, this year, all tests were ridden on sand.

While news of the surface certainly attracted large entries, changes to the format of the team competition didn’t meet with universal approval. However, they did appeal to members of Headfort, who made four of the nine team entries and won with their trio of Beverly Hutchinson (Lost In Translation BH), club secretary Lynsey Rogers (Oreo Lad) and club treasurer Zoe Grogan (Diabolo de la Cour).

Kate Walsh had an excellent year, including winning the pure dressage at the IPS championship 2023 \ Laurence Dunne jumpinaction.net

Pony Club dressage riders show great promise at festival

MEMBERS of the Irish Pony Club (IPC) throughout the country had the opportunity to display their pure dressage skills on an inter-Branch level at the IPC Festival in Barnadown in late July and at the IPC national dressage day in Spruce Lodge in mid-August.

Teams and individuals had to qualify through Area competitions for the Festival, where the Bill Fisk Memorial Shield for the Plusvital team competition was presented to the Tipperary squad of Mary Kennedy, Kate Walsh and Sam Austin. On a combined score of 71.26%, they saw off the challenge of their nearest rivals, Newcastle Lyons (70.38) and Scarteen (69.85), plus 12 other squads.

A total of 64 competitors vied for individual honours, with Walsh claiming the Ronan Cup when scoring 74.27% on board Clare Corballis’ 17-year-old chesnut gelding Lisheen Fork Lightning. Newcastle Lyons’s Hazel Gleeson, who finished second on Remondi Bobtail (73.62), was presented with the Cossack Cup as the highest-placed rider on a pony, while Scarteen’s Sophie Swain slotted into third with Here Comes Trouble (72.67).

Walsh was one of 96 individual riders who competed at the IPC/TRI Equestrian national dressage day, a fixture which took place on Thursday, August 17th, at Spruce Lodge, having been rescheduled from April when constant heavy rain forced its postponement.

Here, the Tipperary member and Lisheen Fork Lightning recorded a superb hors concours score of 74.74% in the Open competition, having finished second (66.46%) in the Windsor test to Laois’ Mai Monahan and the Connemara gelding Carrickfad Cloud Break (67.03), a 10-year-old grey by Castle Gigolo, with whom she has competed at Elementary level with Dressage Ireland.

This has been an excellent year for Walsh, who finished second in the IPC/Connolly’s Red Mils open eventing league on Lisheen Fork Lightning, with whom she was third in Eventing Ireland’s EI110 (J) championship. She also won the EI100 (J) championship at Kilguilkey House on Corballis’ Connemara gelding Beechtree Watchful, with whom she was crowned the Yeomanstown EI100 (J) league champion for 2023. Walsh, who turned 16 at the end of November, has recently been announced as Eventing Ireland’s youth ambassador for 2024.

Also at Spruce Lodge, there were competition wins for the Dalton sisters, Millie on Archer (69.75%) and Louisa riding Jubilee (73.5), in the Under 10 and Under 12 tests respectively and for their Newcastle Lyons teammate, Abbey Ferris on board How Ya Sammy (79.23) at Junior level.

Molly Hennessy Murphy claimed the honours in the Intermediate competition with My Late Find (71.89), on whom she won and placed second in her two EI90 (P) starts this season and won her arena and was on the fifth-placed Wexford team in the Junior section of the IPC/Connolly’s Red Mills championships at Tattersalls Ireland in August. First prize in the Open competition went to Ava Dowley of the Island Branch, who scored 67.5 on Ida 83, a seven-year-old Holstein mare, whom she partnered to finish second in the members’ combined training at the Dublin Horse Show.

In Northern Ireland, at the Area 17 competition at Maddybenny Farm on July 8th, there were team wins for East Antrim (Helen Cunningham, Patrick Cunningham and Holly Ross) in the Intermediate competition; North Down Finches (Zara Reid, Eve Adair, Olivia Byrne and Jessica Byrne) Novice; and Iveagh Magpies (Jenna Morton, Kirsten Bailie, Sophia Madeley and Holly Rice) Grassroots.

The East Antrim Branch struck again at Preliminary level through Penny Logan, Sarah Wilson, Ruby Robinson and Ava Bagchus. There were wins also for the North Down Robins (Amira Greeves, Eirin Wardle, Grace Jackson and Katie Duff) walk/trot unassisted; and a combined Seskinore and East Antrim squad (Alec Goodrich, Florence Wallace and Lilly Healy) in the walk/trot lead rein team competition.

The day’s individual winners at this Area qualifier were East Antrim’s Holly Ross riding Star Of Hollymount (Intermediate); East Down’s Liberty Molloy (Section A) and North Down’s Eve Adair (Section B) at Novice level; North Down’s Rachel Booth (Section A) and Iveagh’s Sophia Madeley (Section B) in the Grassroots competition; Fermanagh’s Claudia Black (Section A) and East Antrim’s Sarah Wilson (Section B) at Preliminary level; Mid Antrim’s Katie Surgenor (walk/trot unassisted) and East Antrim’s Alec Goodrich (lead rein).