DRESSAGE experience came to the fore in the junior classes at Grove, where former youth championship athletes topped the leaderboards in each section on very low scores. Maeve Deverell was the runaway victor in the Kiltinan Castle Stud EI110 (J) with Annaharvey Dunowen, ahead of their trip to Czechia to contest the FEI European Dressage Championships for Juniors later this month. They added nothing to their dressage score of 23.3 to finish almost seven marks ahead of Niamh Verkade and Duniro (30.2). Zara McCarthy also completed on 30.2 aboard Romans Special Envoy, but her 0.4 of a time penalty across country saw her settle for third.

The Equine Warehouse EI100 (J) went the way of Laragh Byrne, who represented Ireland twice at FEI Dressage European Championships on ponies, and LA Saurian Cavalier. This combination scored 21.5 in the first phase and maintained their lead, despite the addition of four faults in the show jumping. Having scored a double of wins at Ballindenisk recently, Niamh Verkade added a double of seconds here, when she again took the runner-up spot with Michael Ryan’s The Outlaw. Katie McCarville and Red Ace finished third on 29.3.