Annaharvey Riding Club One Day Event
Report from Sarah Quaid (Club Secretary)
On Sunday 29th of August Annaharvey Riding club hosted their annual one day event at Annaharvey Farm, Tullamore, Co. Offaly. With many combinations taking advantage of having their last run cross country prior to the national championships being held at the same venue on September 12th.A total of one hundred and seventy eight entries, ten sections and six dressage arenas the day was goin to be a busy one for the dedicated members and supporters of Annaharvey Riding Club. All competitions kicked off promptly at 9 am with the sun shining.
The Open/Advanced Open Competition sponsored by Ballinagar Service Station saw a small field of 6 competing for places. Five of these six combinations have already qualified for the championships so competition was stiff starting off. Leading after the dressage was the Border Counties pairing of Fiona Gilliland and Camlin Chatterbox with a score of 34 with Elaine Murphy (Dalysgrove) hot on her heels with a score of 34.5. Cross country was the next phase for this group and a stop for Elaine at fence 15 put pay to her chances at catching the leader. With no room for error Fiona headed into the show jumping needing a clear round. It was not to be Fiona’s day though with a pole down allowed Joanne Logue and Aisling Carter to skip ahead of her both having clear rounds over the jumps and a joint score of 36. With a time closer to the optimum time a cross country Joanne with her lovely bay mare Colourful Kiwi who looked a picture heading into the show jumping triumphed with Aisling Carter (Kilrainy) Iron Mike in second and Fiona in third.
In the Exsparetise Ltd, Killeigh sponsored Advanced Intermediate Class it was Caitriona Kennedy on Dinny from the Three counties club that led the field out of the dressage arenas with a score of 33 and with Annaharvey’s own Evelyn Healion in close second on 33.5 the home crowd were cheering for a win. The cross country proved influential in this class with seven of the twenty combinations having difficulty over this well designed and built course of Sam Deverells. Heading into the show jumping nobody could afford to drop a pole but with a show jumping course up to full height poles did fall which saw Caitriona fall from first to fourth with a pole down and Evelyn drop from second to fifth with one pole down also. It was Brian Cassidy (Killossery) on Whitetree Legend who succeeded in climbing the score board with no jumping faults and a dressage score of 35. Rosemary Bellew (Border Counties) on Cloncaw Chief finished in second and John Gavin (Ashbrooke) on FCD Touch of Class finished in third. The top six combinations of this field have all qualified for the championship class at the finals so it looks like it will be a hotly contested class.
Annaharvey Farm kindly sponsored the Intermediate section which saw the largest amount of entries and was divided into three sections. Section One it was Julie Polder (Borus) who led a tightly bunched field coming out of the dressage but with two poles down show jumping saw her finishing with a score of 37 which was good enough for second. Finishing on the same score Jenny Clarke (Castlehill) on her dressage score of 37 proved a worthy winner having gone closer to the optimum time across country. Third place went to Emer Eyers (Kilrainy) and fourth place went to Jean O’Connor (Corrib). The winner’s rosette in Section Two went to experienced Cheval combination of Bernie Foley on Smart Coin leading from start to finish on a score of 36.0. Maire Murray (Mosstown) was close behind in second place on a score of 36.5. Moving ahead of combinations who had trouble with the jumping phases was third placed Caitriona O’Meara on Rosie’s Rebel from the Mo Chara club on her dressage score of 42.5 and Aisling Donoghue took fourth place despite dropping a pole show jumping on a score of 43. Section Three saw the top three combinations that were leading coming out of the dressage phase drop out of contention with difficulty show jumping and cross country. It was the Mosstown combination of Lesley Fitzgerald and Brooklyn Beckham that took the honours on her dressage score of 38. In second place was Claire O’Neill (Mullingar) with one pole down show jumping to finish on a score of 40 and David O’ Brien (Celbridge) in third on a score of 42. Controversy did reign over some combinations jumping the wrong fence out cross country. After careful consideration and with many combinations jumping the correct fence the decision was taken to leave the cross country results stand.
The Young Horse Class which was kindly sponsored by Midland Veterinary Supplies saw Deirdre O’Loughlin taking the spoils on her dressage score of 38.5. Second in this class was Clare Lonergan (Unicorn) on a score of 41 and Julie Anne Dolan on Myshall Rose with a score of 45.5 having dropped a pole show jumping.
Irish Horse Feeds were the generous sponsors of both sections of the Advanced Primary competition. In Section one joint leaders coming out of the dressage phase were Jackie Dow and Irish Coleman on a score of 30.5 but with both combinations having two stops around the cross country they dropped out of contention for places. Combinations who kept clean jumping sheets were justly rewarded for their efforts. Hollybrook member Sarah Ridgeway took home the red rosette on a score of 31.6 with Orla O’Neill(Kilcarrick) on 35.3 in second and Emma Reynolds (Lakelands) 39.5 in third. In Section two of this Irish Horse Feeds sponsored class it was the very enthusiastic Mary Lynch (Clonshire) who was riding her own Connemara pony Tulira Nora taking the spoils on a low dressage score of 20.5 and this combination excelled over both jumping phases. In second place was Sharon Coleman (Anvil) on Not More Clover on 26.6 despite a pole down in the jumping arena, in third was Orlaith Frawley on Father Dougal and fourth was Christine McWillaims on 29. Annaharvey’s own Heidi Kinsella on Quantum Mist who is having a great debut season in riding club competitions having already triumphed at the festival finished in fifth place on a score of 29.5 in only her second one day event. Caroline Broadley of the Kilcarrick Club also enjoyed her day in the primary section finishing on her dressage score of 29 and also having a lovely clear round show jumping.
The day finished up around six thirty in the evening with all combinations going home happy and the volunteers of the club going home exhausted after enduring day.
