MARKS were very close at the top end of the EquiJump Pony Producers class at the Stepping Stones to Success league in Wexford Equestrian on Wednesday when just 0.1 of a mark separated each of the first three combinations with a large gap to the fourth.

Successful in the first qualifier and runner-up last week, Hazel Barden got back to winning ways on her mother Jackie’s Connemara gelding Paddy Jo (187.7) with last week’s third-placed combination of Ella Mulvey on Phylldia Collier Stokes’s five-year-old home-bred Connemara mare, Glenayre Mystical Mist (187.6), improving a place into second.

Dropping down two places to third were the week two winners, Molly Flanagan and Mary Kehoe’s five-year-old dun mare, Diamant des Mures (187.5). In a field of 14 starters, dressage judge Liam Maloney awarded his highest score of 53.7 to Barden and Paddy Jo while Flanagan and Diamant de Mures topped the jumping scores of Ian Fearon and Dag Albert on 138.5.

The Barden equestrian team usually comprises 17-year-old Hazel and her mother Jackie but as the latter was visiting Disneyland Paris with younger daughter Lily-Mai (nine), dad Paddy was called into action as logistics manager. Hazel and Lily-Mai have a brother Jimmy (14) who has absolutely no interest in riding, preferring hurling and soccer.

“I’m delighted that things are going so well for Hazel at present as she had a hard time last year with a broken shoulder,” revealed Jackie. “She and Paddy Jo will be heading to the Northern Ireland Festival in Cavan (April 22nd to 24th) as they have qualified for the 153cms working hunter final and the Mountain & Moorland working hunter final. After that, we hope to qualify for the Connemara performance championship at Dublin.”

A six-year-old dun by Martan Phaidin Mhoir out of the Streamstown Mickey mare Ballyvary Mist, Paddy Jo was bred by Declan Connick. Planning the pony’s spring and summer campaign is difficult as Hazel is also eventing the thoroughbred gelding, Loughnavalley.

Win for Furlong

Only two combinations had a penalty score less than 30 following the dressage phase of Wednesday’s Treo Eile-sponsored thoroughbred class, Gerald Bloomer and Ballydrummond (24.2), who dropped to fourth with eight show jumping penalties, and Jason Furlong and Tobias who won on their flat work mark of 27.2.

“I like this horse a lot and I really love his temperament,” said owner Chris Ryan of the five-year-old Sans Frontieres gelding who had some arena eventing experience behind him before taking on the Stepping Stones challenge. “He’s a very laid-back thoroughbred with a lovely pedigree and is a very attractive horse.”

Tobias, not an officially registered name, was bred by William Neville. He is out of the unraced Shernazar mare Moon Approach who is dam of three track winners including the five-time scorer Foundry Square (by Oscar). This is the family of the 12-time winner Kylecrue and Adamant Approach whose 13 wins included the Grade A Pierse Handicap Hurdle at Leopardstown.

Two five-year-olds also finished second and third with Jasper Kelly, who is currently working with Luke Drea, claiming the runner-up spot on Deirdre Fox’s grey mare, Strawberry Morn (30.8). This daughter of Dream Ahead failed to worry the judge in six outings on the flat between August 2019 and early July the following year when trained by Willie McCreery.

Patrick Whelan slotted into third on 31 penalties with Julie Radden’s Themunsterexpress (31), a grey gelding by Elusive Pimpernel.