The Foran Equine RC70/RC80 Team Show Jumping Championship 2025 South West Region Qualifiers took place on Sunday, 27th April at Hitchmough’s Equestrian Centre, hosted by Highland Lodge Riding Club.
The venue, kindly provided by Jill Twomey, was in excellent order for the day, with a dry, if slightly overcast, sky keeping conditions comfortable for both horses and riders. The event drew teams from across the region, with Highland Lodge, Earls Well, West Cork, and Lismore Riding Clubs all fielding combinations in a bid to secure a place at the prestigious Riding Club Festival final in June.
Competition was keen but friendly, with strong camaraderie on display throughout the day. The schedule was efficiently run, allowing time for competitors and spectators to enjoy a relaxed lunch break, with plenty of chat and encouragement from the ringside.
In the results, Highland Lodge produced a superb team effort to take first place, with three of their four riders – Lesley Maye (Ballyneale Daisy), Melanie Cole (Ringwood Sahara), and Zoe Wilson (Bunowen Scotty) – jumping double clear rounds. Despite a single time fault in the jump-off, Maye’s round at 46.153 seconds was enough to secure the win.
Lismore Red claimed second place, with Summer Bridge (Pat Magner), Rudolph Valentino (Mary Buttimer), and Dungar Red Sox (Marie Smiddy) all jumping clear in both rounds to progress to the jump-off. With just four faults and a competitive time of 42.73 seconds – comfortably under the optimum – they were narrowly edged out for the top spot.
West Cork Team 2 put in a very solid performance to finish third. Niamh Smyth (Clochbhuí Rose) and Carys O’Donovan (Rineen Diamonds in Clover) both produced double clear rounds, while Fiona Dowling (Lisrobin Freddie) had a single rail in round one but jumped clear in round two for a total of just four faults.
Earls Well settled into fourth, finishing on 12 faults overall. CW Monty (Dylan Collins) had four faults in both rounds, while CW Coco (Bichris Coupana), Oilean Hitachi (Finola Craven), and Send Me On (Cora Steemers) each contributed rounds with just a single error apiece.
Lismore Blue took fifth place, finishing on a total of 20 faults. Helen Harty (Churchtown Misty), Rachel Sweeney O’Loughlin (Silvergreen Wishing Well), and Síle Scanlon (Cullohill Guzzler) each produced strong efforts, with some clear rounds helping keep the tally manageable.
West Cork Team 1 rounded out the standings in sixth, with Sara Jane Sinnott (Wormsley Glen) providing a clear in the second round, and teammates Melissa Hurley (Pettle) and Sandra Schmid (Flora) battling through to complete a testing day on a total of 41 faults.
Thanks are extended to the many hands that made the day such a success: Jill Twomey for the use of the excellent facilities at Hitchmough’s Equestrian Centre; Declan Cunningham for building a fair but challenging course; and judges Paula Cunningham and Norma Lucey for their expert officiating. Thanks also to Prestige Photography for capturing the day and to the many volunteers who assisted behind the scenes.
With regional qualifiers continuing around the country, all eyes now turn to the Riding Club Festival in June, where the best teams from each region will compete for the national title under the generous sponsorship of Foran Equine.
Report by Chloe Kavanagh
Photo Credit: Prestige Photography
