NOEL Dunne, who was the leading young rider of the 2021 Stepping Stones to Success league, recorded his first success of this year’s series on Wednesday when topping the leaderboard in the Childeric Saddles five-year-old qualifier with Cristiano TG Z (189.1).
A lot has changed in Dunne’s life since last spring as, in September, he moved into his own yard in Taghmon having started building on the land in March/April 2020. “I’ve 10 to 12 horses in all the time and, while I haven’t a lot of facilities as yet, I’m close to Wexford Equestrian and Forth Mountain so can more or less go schooling whenever I like. The plan is to slowly build up the place.”
The plan to go slowly with Cristiano TG Z seems to be paying off and even Wednesday’s success won’t tempt Dunne to go any faster with the Zangersheide stallion. “I bought him as a three-year-old from a woman in Clare who had imported him. I took him real slow last year but did do the Breeders Classic with him and a few small end-of-year shows. This year, we did the two tours at Barnadown, jumping plenty of double clears in metre classes.
“The plan is to bring him to the Stepping Stones again next week and, if all goes well, we will definitely go to the final. He’ll probably go jumping after that but we’ll just see how things go and take it from there. He was the only horse I brought to this third leg of the series as I had another five-year-old (Mount Atlas, by Nigrasine) to compete for the first two weeks.”
Cristiano TG Z, who returned the highest performance (130.5) score awarded by Ian Fearon (show jumping) and Dag Albert (cross-country), is by the Holstein stallion Canturano I out of the Cassini I mare Rassina.
Wexford riders also finished second and third with veterinary surgeon Ciara Kinsella claiming the runner-up spot on her home-bred Tykillen Livewire (182.8). This SIEC Livello gelding shares his prefix with the rider’s family farm in Crossabeg which is noted for its biodiversity. The chesnut Irish Sport Horse is out of the Cougar mare Drumin Magnificat.
There was a good gap back to the third-placed combination of Abby Lambert and the Killinick Bouncer gelding, Finchogue Diamond Bouncer (170.3). There were only seven starters in this five-year-old section where dressage judge Liam Maloney awarded his highest score of 60.5 to Amy Parsons and Wellfields Casino Royale but this combination slipped down to sixth following the jumping phase.
Riding her home-bred Orestus mare Tykillen Jazz, Kinsella also had to settle for second in the Childeric four-year-old qualifier as her score of 195.5 was bettered by Gillian Beale King on Richard Ames’s traditionally-bred ISH gelding, JFH Golden Spear (197.5).
The Belline Equestrian stable jockey put herself in a good position after dressage in this 24-runner class as, on 60.5, she led with JFH Golden Spear while she was also in second place on his stable-companion, Belline Ames To Please. As much as he pleased Maloney, this Sligo Candy Boy gelding did not have the same effect in the Derby Arena and he slipped down the rankings to eventually finish seventh (172.8).
JFH Golden Spear, who was bred in Co Kildare by Johnstown Sport Horses, is by the ISH stallion Jackaroo. He is out of the Craigsteel mare Ballybolger Georgina, dam of Ballybolger Anchorman (by Puissance) who won two EI100 events last season, and a half-sister to, among others, the Puissance gelding Horseware Bushman (CCI4*, now five-star).
Ian Cassells finished third (189.2) and fourth (185) on two unnamed home-breds. The higher-placed of the pair is Dan McSorley’s thoroughbred mare by Doyen out of the unraced Emesions Lady (by Flemensfirth) while Brigid McGing’s gelding is by the thoroughbred stallion Primary out of Diamond Fleck, by Coolcorron Cool Diamond.
Some riders failed to heed the changes to the course from the previous week. This time, competitors were asked to gallop between fences eight and nine before jumping nine and 10 to finish. Some failed to jump the drop down at nine.
Hospitality on tap
The Stepping Stones to Success league continues on Wednesday next, April 20th, Viewing Day, when every round will be videod.
Hopefully, the sun will be out as it was on Wednesday, shining down on the masses of daffodils planted by organiser Orla Roche’s mother, Patricia. Competitors get to appreciate Patricia’s gardening skills even more as they all get a bag of home-grown Rocket lettuce on leaving.
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