Evita on song at Connell Hill's SJI show

Gillian Beale King and 'Tullibards Evita' scored a double at Randalstown venue

It was Gillian Beale King’s day at Connell Hill’s SJI Summer League last Thursday, when she did the double and won both the 1.20m and 1.30m classes with her nine-year-old palomino mare, ‘Tullibards Evita’.

The pair jumped the only clear round in the 1.30m class, while in the 1.20m class, they were the fastest of seven double clears, with a jump-off time of 31.19. The runner-up spot went to Josh Mark riding Paul Caves’s ‘Quality Clinton’, while Zoe Mellett and Martin Mellett’s ‘Jasmine Tide’ placed third.

George Newton and ‘Simply Radical’ were runners-up in the 1.10m class at Connell Hill’s SJI Summer Horse League. PICTURES: courtesy of Lyndon McKee

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Josh Mark continued his run of form with ‘Quality Clinton’ to win the 1.10m class. George Newton and his own ‘Simply Radical’ slotted into second place, with Eenna Hamilton and Orla Diamond’s ‘Autumn Air’ in third.

Shannon Mackenzie and ‘Mackenzies Seigneurs Lux’ jumped double clear in the 1m class at Connell Hill’s SJI Summer Horse League.

Six of the 15 combinations in the 1m class jumped double clear and the same number kept all the fences standing in the 90cm class from 14 starters.

Mya Morrison rode the only clear round in the 80cm class on board Tanya Smith’s ‘Wellview Dun Talkin’.

RESULTS

Thursday, July 10, 2025

Connell Hill SJI Summer League

Horses - 80cm:

1) Tanya Smith’s Wellview Dun Talkin, Mya Morrison.

90cm:

=1) Lynn Lowry’s Galaxy Dimond, Lynn Lowry; Heather Bagchus’s Hello Archie, Ava Bagchus; Shannon Mackenzie’s Mackenzies Bens Lux, Shannon Mackenzie; Rachelle Harding’s RJC King Des Etisses, Charlotte Harding; Harold Megahey’s Rocky Balboa Vdk, Jonny Mulligan; Tiarna McGrath’s Super Kali Fragalistic, Martina King.

1m:

=1) Annette Megahey’s Bachelor Beau, Jonny Mulligan; Rachelle Harding’s Crossmaglen Bandit, Justine Harding; Jacqui Avery’s Kaamen, Charlotte Harding; Shannon Mackenzie’s Mackenzies Seigners Lux, Shannon Mackenzie; Carine Fullerton’s My Irish Valentine, Carine Fullerton; Harold Megahey’s Rocky Balboa Vdk, Jonny Mulligan.

Carine Fullerton and ‘My Irish Valentine’ jumped double clear in the 1m class at Connell Hill’s SJI Summer Horse League.

1.10m:

1) Paul Caves’s Quality Clinton, Josh Mark; 2) George Newton’s Simply Radical, George Newton; 3) Orla Diamond’s Autumn Air, Eenna Hamilton; 4) Savannah Marshall’s Peace V/D Bleukhoeve Z, Jodie Creighton; 5) John Jackson’s Nimrod Ihr, Anna Jackson; 6) Sarah Cleary’s Greenan Little Lady, Niamh Duncan.

Anna Jackson and ‘Nimrod lhr’ placed fifth in the 1.10m class at Connell Hill’s SJI Summer Horse League.

1.20m:

1) Gillian Beale King’s Tullibards Evita, Gillian Beale King; 2) Paul Caves’s Quality Clinton, Josh Mark; 3) Martin Mellett’s Jasmine Tide, Zoe Mellett; 4) Shannon Mackenzie’s Cadeau De Bo Z, Shannon Mackenzie; 5) Samuel J Smyth’s Ballylurgan Hold Up, Christopher Smyth; 6) Aileen Feeney’s Jessica R, Niamh Duncan.

1.30m:

1) Gillian Beale King’s Tullibards Evita, Gillian Beale King.