LAST Sunday’s fourth leg of the Berts Properties Eventing Starter Series, run by the Western Region of Eventing Ireland, was held at Tubberbride Stables where the numbers competing in the league classes were bolstered by those making a final bid to qualify for the performance Irish Draught championship at Balmoral Show.

Given the venue, the course builder for the day was, naturally enough, Richard Kerins whose track for the series classes comprised six show jumping fences, followed by seven cross-country obstacles (the Balmoral contenders jumped a mix of nine fences). Noeleen Kerins judged the jumping phase, but this was for errors only - unlike at Milchem seven days earlier when competitors were surprised to find that phase being marked for jump, rhythm and fluency, scope, etc as it will be on finals’ day.