Spectacular eventing action at The Clare
Co Armagh venue exuded an elegant charm and offered four challenging courses
Every detail was meticulously addressed in the execution of the event at The Clare on Saturday (July 5). The Co Armagh venue exuded an elegant charm from the moment competitors and the large group of spectators arrived, with the long driveway adorned by promotional signs from numerous local sponsors, keen to support the Cullen family.
The minds of Declan, Becky and Kitty seem to operate tirelessly, as the success of the event clearly reflects their strategic thinking and meticulous planning.
The establishment of the business and administrative hub has created a secure and efficient environment for all involved. Vina Buller expertly managed the four challenging courses, which were both demanding and well-designed.
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The inaugural Celtic Challenge, conceived by Declan Cullen and his associate at Scone Palace International, Alec Lochore, featured two highly subscribed Amateur classes at EI 100 and EI 90, with competitors eager to secure golden tickets for the first event at this new Scottish venue in August. The honours went to Ciarrai Rice (‘Lady J’) and Hollie Smith (‘Mr Diceman’) in the EI 100, while Bernie Muirhead (‘Out of the Blue’) and Julie Coombs (‘Bruno Mars’) triumphed in the EI 90.
Additionally, every competitor was entered into a draw for a €500 holiday voucher, generously sponsored by ACSI, Europe’s largest camping agency with destinations in Italy, Croatia and many other wonderful locations. The fortunate recipient was Mya McMullan, who was competing in the EI 100J class.
As always, the amazing team of nearly 70 volunteers made this day possible, with some even travelling from the South to help with the many tasks involved.
The Volunteer Draw winners were:
- £50 M&S Voucher, generously provided by Elaine McKee - winner: Debbie Knox
- £50 Voucher for the Avoca Hotel, Newcastle, kindly donated by Donna O’Hare - winner: Denver Watson
- Burren Balsamic Gift Bag, graciously provided by Susie Hamilton Stubber - winner: Beth Hayes.
Susie has also contributed another fantastic hamper, which will be raffled off over the next three events, ending at The Clare 2, with all proceeds going to Air Ambulance.
Smith Brothers yard was, as usual, well-represented at the event and they certainly took home a fair share of the prizes. Steven picked up a pillar to post victory in the EI 110 Open class on board ‘Greenhall Gold Dust’, a seven-year-old gelding owned by Gail MacNab, who last competed at Ballindennisk International in April, placing eighth out of 35. Andrew Napier took some time out from planning for Hazeldene 3 in August to compete with his home-bred ‘Centre Stage’ mare, ‘Hazeldene Elsa’, picking up a second spot in the process.
Steven Smith also claimed the winning rosette in the EI 110 class of 11 starters. He triumphed with ‘Annaghmore Cornoko’, Campbell McLean’s six-year-old gelding by ‘HHS Cornet’, who has never been out of the top six placings on any of his 10 appearances nationally. He finished three points clear of stablemate, ‘Nelgara Lucy Locket’, ridden by Casey Webb for the owner/breeder, Sean Moher. ‘Lucy’ has been something of a celebrity as she was spotted modelling a special Equivizor helmet to avert travel injuries, which had prevented her competing at several events. Thankfully, this new helmet has proved successful and allowed her to slot into second place.
There were just three starters in the EI 110J class, where the multi-talented combination of Eimhear Donaghy and ‘TMS Freedom’ took the win, adding just time faults to the first-phase score of 35.3 awarded by Dressage Ireland List 1 Judge, Dermott Cannon. A week earlier, this partnership were picking up fifth place at Portmore in the 1.30m Grand Prix. Smith Bros. pupil, Lee Bloomfield, took second place with Virginia Maguire’s accomplished gelding, the Thoroughbred, ‘Handsome Starr’.
Again, just three combinations came before Dermot Cannon in the EI 110 Amateur class, which saw victory going to Britt Megahey and his 10-year-old ‘Centre Stage’ gelding, ‘R Showman’. This represented their five-game winning streak at National events, with Millstreet International thrown into the mix, where they finished in the top half of the CCI2*-S competition. Britt, very generously, donated his winnings to Air Ambulance. Nichola Wray and ‘Dylan’ slotted in behind, having taken a slower pace across the country. This was after she had delivered two boxes of sweet delights for the volunteers.
The great excitement about the EI 100 Amateur class was that it was a Qualifier for the novel ‘Celtic Challenge’ taking place at Scone Palace International in August. 12 combinations were competing for the two golden tickets on offer. In the event, there was a tie on points for first place but, when the criteria for equality of marks was applied, first place went to seasoned campaigner, Ciarrai Rice and ‘Lady J’, who are no strangers to success and are very seldom outside the top six and they had the better cross-country score. Second place went to the first-phase leader, Hollie Smith and ‘Mr Diceman’, who just added two time penalties to Dermot Cannnon’s mark of 29.
There is just no stopping Maya Constable and her mother’s fabulous pony, ‘Rockon Pedro’, who took the win in the EI 100 P class, having led from the off. This victory came on foot of an amazing achievement at Millstreet International in June, where they finished second out of 66 starters in the CCI1* Intro class. 16-year-old Emma Stewart from Castlewellan occupied the runner-up spot with her mother’s Connemara Pony, ‘Loughnageer Prince’, who moved up two spots from dressage.
14 young hopefuls took on the challenge of Vina Buller’s track in the EI 100 J class, where only the top two riders kept clean sheets across the two jumping phases. Taking first place was Katie Robinson and ‘Ophelia Cruise’, an eight-year-old mare by the Irish Sport Horse, ‘Landenco’, who scored 33.5 from Lucinda Webb-Graham. Coming in fractionally behind was Cayleigh Erwin and Murph, who moved up one placing from her last competition at Hazeldene 2.
Cross-country time was very influential in the EI 100 class, with no one making the optimum time of 5 minutes 30 seconds. The win, on this occasion, went to Myah McLean riding the 10-year-old gelding, ‘Emile Ford’, who picked up four time penalties, with Casey Webb and ‘Knockaleery Mill Leaf’ coming in just over four points adrift. This six-year-old mare by ‘Watermill Swatch’ was bred by the owners, Robert and Jane Huey.
Again, the EI 90 Amateur class created great excitement for the 16 combinations, as it was also a qualifier for Scone Palace. Vanda Stewart reserved her top mark of 23.5 for Helen Sawey-Quinn but, unfortunately, she and ‘Connor’ fell foul of the ditch at No. 4. This paved the way to success for Bernadette Muirhead riding ‘Out of the Blue’, who lowered one fence and added some time penalties to give a completion score of 33.1. This gave her almost four points advantage over Julie Coombs riding ‘Bruno Mars’, who just started competing this time last year.
Dublin-based judge, David Lee, cast his critical eye over the 20 starters in the EI 90 class, where he awarded his top mark of 18.3 to Connor McClory riding Vina Buller’s unraced Thoroughbred, ‘Bestman Bryan’, by ‘Lauro’, bred by Alfred Buller. They finished 10 points clear of Lucca Stubington riding ‘Magic Clementine’, a six-year-old mare by ‘Tolan R’, owned by the breeder, Sheelagh Kennedy, who has just had three outings under EI rules and who won on her last outing at Tyrella 2.
The award for collecting most rosettes on a single pony this year must go to 12-year-old Dromore schoolgirl, Charlie Watson, who claimed yet another first placing with Mervyn Gibson’s ‘Leamore Girl’. Determination was written all over her face from the outset, where Dermot Cannon awarded her the top mark of 27.8, which was her completion score, six and a half points clear of her nearest rival, Molly Marner and ‘Gelato’, who just started their partnership this year.
15-year-old Muckamore rider, Eve Lindsay, was certainly a girl on a mission as she led from the outset with ‘Don Pablo’, a very striking grey gelding bred by Allison Barron, a regular Fence Judge with the Northern Region. This is just the third outing for this partnership, who added nothing to their impressive flatwork mark of 24.5. Ella McCrory from Co Down took the runner-up spot with ‘The Alders Bobby Dazzler’ on just their third outing.
Sincere thanks go to Declan, Becky and Kitty Cullen for hosting this event and preparing four testing tracks, which were overseen by Vina Buller.
Thanks to all the sponsors for their generosity and to the usual army of volunteers who are the bloodline of the sport.
This coming week sees the eventing entourage head to Tullymurry for the first of their two back-to-back events (July 12 and 19) before returning to Gilford for The Clare 2 on July 26.
RESULTS
Saturday, July 5
EI Northern Region at The Clare
EI 110 Open:
1) Steven Smith, Greenhall Green Dust; 2) Andrew Napier, Hazeldene Elsa; 3) Casey Webb, Ballygreenan Break Point; 4) Manvendra Singh, Mr Mighty.
EI 110:
1) Steven Smith, Annaghmore Cornoko; 2) Casey Webb, Nelgara Lucy Locket; 3) Lucca Stubington, Ballyneety Cavalier Imp; 4) Steven Smith, Sinetta; 5) Casey Webb, Safe Harbour; 6) Rebekah McKinstry, HVL Jackpot.
EI 110 J:
1) Eimhear Donaghy, TMS Freedom; 2) Lee Bloomfield, Handsome Starr; 3) Erin Mathieson, DG Dawn Chorus.
EI 110 Amateur:
1) Britt Megahey, R Showman; 2) Nichola Wray, Springhill Showman; 3) Ros Morgan, VOS Surprise.
EI 100 Amateur:
1) Ciarrai Rice, Lady J; 2) Hollie Smith, Mr Diceman; 3) Rachael O’Callaghan, Gervada; 4) Denis Currie, Merlot; 5) Samantha Dale, Threeseas; 6) Aibhe McGrath, Bridgemans Mojito.
EI 100 P:
1) Maya Constable, Rockon Pedro; 2) Emma Stewart, Loughnageer Prince; 3) Eve Lindsay, Glenomore Tom; 4) Aimee-Leigh Bailey, Villa Prince.
EI 100 J:
1) Katie Robinson, Ophelia Cruise; 2) Cayleigh Erwin, Murph; 3) Maya Constable, Urneypark Big Cat; 4) Jessica Rogers, Shannaghmore Skys The Limit; 5) Ellie Hynds, PSH Lets Tango; 6) Jenna Morton, Estella Great Expectations.
EI 100:
1) Myah McLean, Emile Ford; 2) Casey Webb, Knockaleery Mill Leaf; 3) Ruby Proctor, Quick Step Up; 4) Ben Foster, Silken Karma; 5) Aoife Gribben, Wildfire; 6) Molly Evans, Son of Tully.
EI 90 Amateur:
1) Bernadette Muirhead, Out of the Blue; 2) Julie Coombs, Bruno Mars; 3) Wendy Findlay, Hill Farm Pebble; 4) Gillian Neill, The Crafty Fox; 5) Orla Sheehan, Bear With Us; 6) Jonathan McCallion, San Sebastian.
EI 90:
1) Connor McClory, Bestman Bryan; 2) Lucca Stubington, Magic Clementine; 3) Abbie Knox, Freeway; 4) Connie Cullen, Oakport Je T’aime Fox; 5) Poppy McMurray, Finding Nemo; 6) Andrew Napier, Hazeldene Luka.
EI 90 P:
1) Charlie Watson, Leamore Girl; 2) Molly Marner, Gelato; 3) Ella Watters, Shadows Golden Boy; 4) Kelsea Maginnis, Atlantic Clover Star; 5) Annabel McKeown, Foyes Choice; 6) Katie McCarville, Basil Brush.
EI 90 T:
1) Suzanne Hagan, Bobby; 2) Caroline Bellew, Thistoshallpass; 3) Lee Bloomfield, Blaze; 4) Connor McClory, Aussie Away; 5) Anna Andrews, Kilygarvin Tir Na Nog.
EI 80:
1) Eve Lindsay, Don Pablo; 2) Ella McCrory, The Alders Bobby Dazzler; 3) Edel Goodman, My Pointilliste Diamond; 4) Jonathan West, Monmurry Sovereign; 5) Una McIlmail, lusmagh Anthem; 6) Lindsay Martin, Meadowspring.
EI 80 T:
1) Freddie Castles, DG Dusk Til Dawn; 2) Heil Nannimainen, Elderflower Assir.