Carne Riding Club was denied a historic three-in-a-row in the team eventing championship last Sunday when Border Counties Riding Club claimed the spoils empathically at the TRI Equestrian National Eventing Championships.
11 teams declared for the team competition which took place at Kilguilkey House near Mallow, Co. Cork where the best three scores counted towards the team total.
The three-member Border Counties team finished on a total of 91.3 penalties, over 10 penalties ahead of Carne Riding Club, who won the title for the past two years, on 101.5. This gave the Monaghan club its second national team title this year after Border Counties won the team dressage title last month.
There was very little between the team members scores as Caroline McQuillan finished the day on 29.3 after Foxtail Orchid added 4 penalties over the coloured poles. Sarah Mc Kenna (Mr Brown IRE) was next best for the team on 30.1 after the Monaghan resident knocked two poles in the show jumping while Dean Egan completed the day on his dressage score of 32.0 on Cloncaw Smartie.
Club chairperson Geraldine Bellew said,
we had a dream of winning two team championships this year but with only three team members, our chances seemed slim.
The team is ecstatic to have won the team eventing title and it definitely made the long journey worthwhile. With party celebrations in the offing, one club member who is now in Dubai, has suggested we party there with a bit of camel riding but I think that might be a bit too far
The quartet from Carne Riding Club, who claimed the runners-up place, will be disappointed that they missed out on the hat-trick but Karen Feliki will be delighted with her performance when Archibald Wells added nothing to finish on 31.3 while a pole down in the show jumping left Albert Whitehead (Ballyell Quick Pick) on 32.3.Jennifer Kehoe provided the
Jennifer Kehoe provided the teams other score of 38.0 on Westwinds Mr Cool who left two poles on the floor over the coloured poles while Lisa Whitehead provided the discard score after the Tagoat resident became unseated during the show jumping phase.
Previous team champions, Unicorn Riding Club claimed third place on 107.3. Katy Anchell (Skylow) added 7 penalties after show jumping to finish on 35.5 while Des Williams (Byrneskill Sam) and Avena O’Keefe (Murph The Surf) both added 4 penalties over the coloured poles to finish on 35.8 and 36.0 respectively to leave the Tipperary-based club in third place.
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