Corrib Riding Club will bridge a 10-year gap when they return to the Dublin Horse Show in August for the final of the Horseware Team Show Jumping Championship after they won the wildcard qualifier at the Riding Clubs Festival last Saturday.
Just six teams lined out in the TRI Equestrian sponsored main show jumping arena after Coolbell and Ard Lu withdrew as both were unable to field teams. This qualifier gave the runners up from each regional qualifier one last attempt to get a ticket for the Dublin Horse Show.
Conditions at Stradbally Hall Estate, Co. Laois deteriorated in the afternoon as strong winds played a factor in how the competition progressed where after the opening round Corrib and Mosstown were out in front on 4 faults each.
Enniskerry was further adrift in third on 8 faults with Earls Well on 10, Clonshire on 12 and finally Moyglare on 16.
Earls Well, Clonshire and Moyglare could not improve on their earlier performance in the second round to finish in fourth, fifth and sixth place respectively.
Mosstown dropped down into third place after the Longford based team racked up a further 12 faults to finish on a total of 16.
The Enniskerry team improved on their opening tally after clear rounds from Aisling Harrison (DG Arkall) and Shawna Waters (Salty Waters Kilmullen). David Bourke had one fence down on Enniskerry Capital Venture while Mairead Waters (Our Bonnie) returned with two on the floor to leave the Wicklow based team on 12 faults.
This left Corrib with little room to manoeuvre after Moira Gleeson (Mos Maggie) and Aisling Donoghue (Walmore Sport) both returned with a fence down for the Galway club but Claire Moran kept the pressure on after Mullybrannon left all fences intact.
It all came down to the final rider in the ring, Paul Tarpey who had to jump clear to secure the final place ticket at the final in August. The Corrib captain riding Craobh Cassanova, a 15-year-old brown gelding, duly delivered in rather tough conditions to bridge their long absence from the Dublih Horse Show.
The Corrib quartet will face Carne, Greenhills, Greenvalley, Highland Lodge, Killossery, Mill Road, Ross House and Springmount at the final at the Dublin Horse Show in August.
