THERE were some great performances by Irish dressage and para dressage riders at the international show in Addington Equestrian Centre, Britain last week.

Kildare native Millie Cosgrave scored a personal best of 71.322% with the 18-year-old Holsteiner mare Let’s Dance to win the Children Preliminary Competition B class. It was a second international win for the Children on Horses Irish rider after victory at Jardy CDI in France last year.

Millie and the Sir Donnerhall mare recorded another personal best score of 73.100% for second place in the Children Team Competition class. They completed their weekend scoring 68.797% for runner-up in the Children Individual Competition class.

Irish pony rider Kate Murphy delivered three personal best scores with the 15-year-old Westphalian gelding Top Hero 2 on a memorable weekend for the partnership in Addington. Kate secured a podium finish in the Pony Freestyle to Music class slotting into third on 70.550%. Murphy scored 67.905% for fourth place in the FEI Pony Team class. A 66.892% total in the FEI Pony Individual class proved good enough for another fourth place ribbon for the Irish rider.

On her international debut, junior rider Evie Kennedy scored 65.147% with Cordobes XXXVI in the FEI Junior Individual test class securing a qualification score for the 2025 FEI Dressage European Championships for Juniors in Le Mans, France.

McKenna hat-trick

Team Ireland European Championship Grade III para dressage rider Jessica McKenna scored a hat-trick of wins at Addington CPEDI3* with her new mount, D.C.I Cerruti. Jessica and the 15-year-old gelding she owns with her mother Emma and Elder Klatzko, scored 66.778% on their international debut to take top honours in the Para Grand Prix A Grade III class. McKenna added a second win with the Hanoverian gelding in the Para Grand Prix B Grade III class on a 67.889% total.

The Irish rider rounded off a great week at the Buckinghamshire venue with her third straight win in the Para Grand Prix Freestyle to Music Grade III class on an unbeatable score of 71.489%. Paris Paralympian Kate Kerr-Horan secured a podium finish placing third in the Grand Prix A Grade III class when scoring 64.445% with Lykkebo’s Don Akino.

Reflecting on her success McKenna said: “It’s a great start to the season and I’m really pleased with how he performed at our first para international together.”

New Horse Sport Ireland High Performance para dressage manager, Simone Hession, commented: “For the first para dressage international of the year, the Irish combinations had a good start as we work towards the European Championships in September, in particular Jessica had a super show, with three wins in three classes.”

Aalborg

Meanwhile, competing at their second international show, Ireland’s Alex Baker and Elverhojs Polka Royal scored two top four placings at Aalborg CDI in Denmark. Alex and the 11-year-old Danish warmblood mare, owned by Caroline Breck, scored 68.088% for fourth place in the small tour Prix St Georges class. The Irish championship rider and Elverhojs Polka Royal placed fourth in the Intermediate 1 class on a 67.294% total.