Thomastown and District Riding Club won the team championship title at the Connolly’s RED MILLS sponsored AIRC National Dressage Championships last Sunday.
The all-female quartet of Naomi Shairp (Krafty Harry), Aisling Brett (Annaveigh Mac), Jade Douglas (Carrigbeg Coco) and Daniela Cardillo Corr (Flight of the Phoenix) finished on a total of 444.31% at Barnadown Show Jumping in Co. Wexford to claim the clubs second team dressage title since 2018.
With the best three scores counting, the Kilkenny club held a narrow lead after all of the first round tests were complete but they managed to extend their winning margin after the second round.
All four members registered a test in the seventies with Daniela Cardillo Corr scoring 78.91% on her 16-year-old piebald gelding, Flight of the Phoenix, in front of Bronagh O’Mahony. Jade Douglas produced a magnificent test on her 11-year-old brown mare, Carrigbeg Coco, to receive a score of 76.94 on her second outing while Aisling Brett also scored highly on Annaveigh Mac, an 11-year-old grey stallion, with 72.50% in her second test. Naomi Shairp also contributed to the team tally after her 18-year-old gelding, Krafty Harry, registered 70.96% on her first outing of the day.
18 of the 19 qualified teams lined out at the decider after almost 70 teams sought qualification at qualifiers which took place over the past three months.
Clonough Riding Club claimed the runners-up spot after Tanya Lock (Rathcline Moonlight Girl), Amy Jo Peskens (Lucy Lulu), Danielle Cullen (Redmondstown Blue) and Pat White (Velvet Mountain) completed the two rounds almost 10% behind the winners on 434.92%, to claim the blue ribbons.
The Wexford-based club finished just ahead of Dunbyrne Riding Club after Lorna O’Hare (DBS Second Chance (Oren\’s Pride)), Myriam Bunter (Star Of Rubykan (IRE)), Suzanne Conroy (The Lady Yeats) and Lynn Cadogan (Shooting Star) Joe took home the yellow ribbons to Kildare on 434.65%.
Last years winners Waterford, Hollybrook and Tara Hill completed the lineup in fourth, fifth and sixth respectively.
The Thomastown and District club also picked up two individual titles on the day with Jade Douglas winning the Connolly’s RED MILLS RC Preliminary 2 title on a total of 148.99%.
The Carlow resident notched up a winning margin of just over 5% on Carrigbeg Coco to claim the title ahead of Treegrove’s Jessica Sinnott (Casper The Friendly Cob) on 143.13%.
Elsewhere, Daniela Cardillo Corr won the Kilkenny clubs second individual title on Flight of the Phoenix in the Connolly’s RED MILLS RC Preliminary 3 division.
The Cuffesgrange resident stood out from the crowd with an overall score of 151.87% ahead of Joanna Lewis (Ballybough Brightspark) for Clonmel on 148.24%.
Suzanne Conroy notched up the highest percentage of the day over two tests to win the Connolly’s RED MILLS RC Preliminary 1 championship.
The Dunbyrne rider on her 13-year-old bay mare, The Lady Yeats, finished on 154.17% ahead of Greenvalley’s Jennifer O’Donnell in second place on CCS Billy who registered 147.92% on the scoreboard.
Helen Alexander on Grangefort Heather who was a member of last years winning team from Waterford, ran out victors in the Connolly’s RED MILLS RC Novice Championship.
The Dunmore East resident was the only rider to breach the 150% mark in the competition to win the spoils on 153.58% ahead of last years winner, Vicky Cloney on Kachemire Le Beau in second.
Tanya Lock had a much-improved outing this year on Rathcline Moonlight Girl to win the Connolly’s RED MILLS RC Elementary class on 149.37%. The Clonough rider was fourth at last years championships but edged out a narrow win over Knocknamana Country’s Caroline Marwood on Cobalto XI on 148.17%.
Tabitha Millar Hagerty claimed the top two places in the Connolly’s RED MILLS RC Medium division while also winning the title for the second successive year. The Twinfort rider took the win on Westeria Lane on 135.12% and also took the runners-up spot on last years winner Tullineaskey Hi Ho on 134.00%.
Elsewhere in the remaining classes, John Gavin won the young horse section on his 4-year-old gelding, Holywell Contender for Ashbrook while Ballycanew’s Maura Gleeson claimed the spoils in the RC Preliminary 2 Open division on Shooting Silver Star with Tara Hill’s Liisa Rantamaki taking home the red rosette on Bobby Cool (IRE) in the RC Preliminary 3 Open class.
