Competitors shine in the sun Connell Hill Training Show

Classes from cross-poles up to 1.20m attract talented combinations

The popular County Antrim venue, Connell Hill Equestrian, saw a host of competitors arrive on Saturday, April 5 to jump in the outdoor sunshine. This pleasurable day opened with a bright start for Caroline McKeown on ‘Dusty’, who achieved a lovely double clear round in the pony cross-poles, followed by another clear round in the 50cm class, where Sarah Kirkpatrick also jumped a faultless round on her pony ‘Volvo’. Alice Gregg on Patchy and Aoife McGarry on Blackie took on the 50cm and 60cm classes with double clears all the way!

Jessica Halliday and ‘Douglas’ jumped clear in both the 90cm and 1m classes at Connell Hill’s Unregistered Training Show. PICTURES: courtesy of Lyndon McKee

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The course was adjusted for the 70cm class, which saw a full house of double clear rounds, and a well-contested 80cm class saw Jamie Lee McKenzie and Flora Campbell ride two lovely double clear rounds with both competitors jumping again in the 90cm, matching their success! The next class saw talented combination Jessica Halliday on ‘Douglas’ jump a lovely double clear round in the metre class, after securing her first clear round in the 90cm.

Moving on up to the 1.10m class, Eenna Hamilton took joint first place with Frankie Kealey. A successful win in the 1.20m was claimed by Frankie Kealey on her horse Dan with Eenna Hamilton on Ellie May in a very close second!

Well done to everyone who took part.

Frankie Kealey and ‘Dan’ jointly won the 1.10m class and took the win in the 1.20m class at Connell Hill’s Unregistered Training Show.

Connell Hill is an excellent venue to build confidence week by week and is a first-class facility to school around on a Saturday morning, with classes to suit all levels, with lots of achievement opportunities and confidence-building going on. There’s always a friendly and welcoming atmosphere and is a great start to any weekend for riders, owners and spectators to socialise with a cup of coffee and snack.

The next training show will take place this Saturday, April 12, starting at 10am with classes from pony cross-poles (assisted/unassisted) up to 1.20m, and everyone is very welcome. Entries are taken on the day.

Details of all events can be found on Gillian Creighton/and Connell Hill Facebook pages, and SJI Registered show dates are available on www.sjilive

Photography for all Connell Hill Events is available on the Lyndon McKee Photography Facebook page.

RESULTS

Saturday, April 5

Connell Hill Training Show

Class 1 - Pony Cross-poles:

Caroline McKeown, Dusty.

Class 2 - 50cm:

Caroline McKeown, Dusty; Sarah Kirkpatrick, Volvo; Aoife McGarry, Blackie; Alice Gregg, Patchy.

Sarah Kirkpatrick and ‘Volvo’ with their winning rosette for jumping clear in the 50cm class at Connell Hill’s Unregistered Training Show.

Class 3 - 60cm:

Alice Gregg, Patchy; Barbara Murtland, Florence; Aoife McGarry, Blackie; Cara O’Kane, Jenny.

Alice Gregg and ‘Patchy’ jumped clear in both the 50cm and 60cm classes at Connell Hill’s Unregistered Training Show.

Class 4 - 70cm:

Evie McCracken, Bazil; Emily Dobbin, Ellie; Judith Beattie, Feebe; Emma Hoy, Bounty; Sarah Bates, Charlie; Kathryn Knoz, Cinderella; Frankie Kealey; Lady; Leah Hanson, Fiadh; Caitlin McFadden, Illegally Blonde; Lis Talbot, Jayne; Carla Dolan, Carly; Donna Barron, Dreamer; Niomi Chestnutt, Bob.

Class 5 - 80cm:

Sarah Bates, Charlie; Melanie Moorhead, Little Miss Ellie; Leah McCord, Rosedale Tilly; Leah Hanson, Fiadh; Frankie Kealey, Lady; Caitlyn, McCrackin, Illegally Blonde; Grace McGarry, Luna; Amy Flemming, Jess; Jamie Lee McKenzie, Lulu; Aimee Frew, Minty; Flora Campbell, Kim; Eenna Hamilton, Missy; Edward Little, Baby; Rachel Croskerry, Dennis; Geoffrey Glass, Deano; Evia McCracken, Bazil; Niami Chestnutt, Bob; Emily Dobbin, Ellie.

Emily Dobbin and ‘Ellie’ jumped clear in both the 70cm and 80cm classes at Connell Hill’s Unregistered Training Show.

Class 6 - 90cm:

Jessica Halliday, Douglas; Amy Lee Hanbey, Arthur; Jamie Lee McKenzie, Lulu; Valerie Penny, Oskar; Flora Campbell, Kim; Amy Frew, Minty.

Class 7 - 1m:

Jessica Halliday, Douglas.

Class 8 - 1.10m:

Eenna Hamilton, Elle May; Frankie Kealey, Dan.

Class 9 - 1.20m:

Frankie Kealey, Dan; Eenna Hamilton, Elle May.

Eenna Hamilton and ‘Elle May’ was a joint winner in the 1.10m class and a close second in the 1.20m class at Connell Hill’s Unregistered Training Show.

Additional Dates for your Diary

There are a series of events coming up this month, as Connell Hill will host a two-day Showing and Working Hunter Festival show over the weekend of April 19 and 20. Horses will compete on Saturday and Ponies on the Sunday. This show will take in all classes in preparation for the Northern Ireland Festival, and is one not to be missed. Entries online and further details available from Gillian Creighton and Connell Hill Facebook pages.

Throughout April at Connell Hill…

April 12 - Unregistered Jumping Training Show

April 19 and 20 - Showing and Working Hunter Festival at Connell Hill

• English judges with 3 rings in operation

• WH inside, showing outside - entries online via website

• Top Spec sponsoring supreme horse and supreme pony for showing and WH 100s of prizes and sashes for champions,

April 26 - Unregistered Jumping Training Show