Benbulben Riding Club did it yet again after it won the AIRC Team Show Jumping Championship qualifier in the West Region last weekend.

The Sligo based club was the only team to complete the task with a clean sheet over Tony Ennis’s 10 fence track with 12 jumping efforts at Ballinasloe Showgrounds.

15 teams from 12 clubs made the journey from all corners of the region to compete for the coveted chance to qualify for the RDS in August this year.

After a tense first round, two teams emerged with clean sheets including Benbulen and Tir Conaill.  Tynagh followed closely behind with one time penalty while Corrib and another team from Benbulben were tied on four faults.

In the second round, Tir Conaill picked up 4 faults early on with their first two riders returning with a pole on the floor which left the door open for Benbulben.

The team of Cara Conway (Cooley Are Cruising), Sarah Dunleavy (Lecarrow Silver Shadow), Deirdre Doolan (Roscrib Harry) and Vanessa Sweeney (Woodbank Clover) secured the win after they competed the two rounds with nothing to add.

The Tir Conaill team dropped down to third place on 4 penalties after they opened the door for the Tynagh team of Kayleigh Star (Ryan’s Chateau), Dorothy McAlinden (Knockask Galanta), Eilish McCarthy (Barnaboy Jackeen) and Thomas Daniels (Diamond Rose Lad) who moved up to second place.

Another Benbulben team took fourth place with a slower time after they finished level with Tir Conaill while Tynagh also took fifth place ahead of Burren in sixth.

The highest-placed eligible team will receive an invitation to compete at the final in August while the second-highest eligible team will go forward to contest the wild card qualifier at next month’s AIRC Riding Clubs Festival.

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