Horse Week: Competitors enjoy the sunshine at Connell Hill Equestrian

This pleasurable day opened with a bright start for Caroline McKeown on Dusty achieving a lovely double clear round in the pony cross-poles, followed by another clear round in the 50s. Sarah Kirkpatrick jumped a faultless round on her pony Volvo. Alice Gregg on Patchy and Aoife McGarry on Blackie took on the 50cm and 60cm classes with double clears all the way!

The course was adjusted for the 70s which saw a full house of double clear rounds, and a well contested 80cm class saw Jamie Lee McKenzie and Flora Campbell ride two lovely double clear rounds with both competitors jumping again in the 90s matching their success! The next class saw talented combination Jessica Halliday on Douglas take a lovely double clear round in the metre after securing her first clear round in the 90s.

Moving on up to the 1.10m, Eenna Hamilton took joint first place with Frankie Kealey. A successful win in the 1.20m was claimed by Frankie Kealey on her horse Dan with Eenna Hamilton on Ellie May in a very close second!

Well done to everyone who took part.

Connell Hill is an excellent venue to build confidence week by week and is a first class facility to school around on a Saturday morning with classes to suit all levels, with lots of achievement opportunities and confidence building going on.

There’s always a friendly and welcoming atmosphere and is a great start to any weekend for riders, owners and spectators to socialise with a cup of coffee and snack.

The next training show will take place this Saturday, April 12, starting at 10am with classes from pony cross-poles (assisted/unassisted) up to 1.20m, and everyone is very welcome. Entries are taken on the day.

Details of all events can be found on Gillian Creighton/and Connell Hill Facebook pages, and SJI Registered show dates are available on www.sjilive.ie

Photography for all Connell Hill Events is available on the Lyndon McKee Photography Facebook page.

Connell Hill training show results (Saturday, April 5)

Class 1: Pony X-poles

Caroline McKeown, Dusty.

Class 2: 50cm

Caroline McKeown, Dusty; Sarah Kirkpatrick, Volvo; Aoife McGarry, Blackie; Alice Gregg, Patchy.

Class 3: 60cm

Alice Gregg, Patchy; Barbara Murtland, Florence; Aoife McGarry, Blackie; Cara O’Kane, Jenny.

Class 4: 70cm

Evie McCracken, Bazil; Emily Dobbin, Ellie; Judith Beattie, Feebe; Emma Hoy, Bounty; Sarah Bates, Charlie; Kathryn Knoz, Cinderella; Frankie Kealey; Lady; Leah Hanson, Fiadh; Caitlin McFadden, Illegally Blonde; Lis Talbot, Jayne; Carla Dolan, Carly; Donna Barron, Dreamer; Niomi Chestnutt, Bob.

Class 5: 80cm

Sarah Bates, Charlie; Melanie Moorhead, Little Miss Ellie; Leah McCord, Rosedale Tilly; Leah Hanson, Fiadh; Frankie Kealey, Lady; Caitlyn, McCrackin, Illegally Blonde; Grace McGarry, Luna; Amy Flemming, Jess; Jamie Lee McKenzie, Lulu; Aimee Frew, Minty; Flora Campbell, Kim; Eenna Hamilton, Missy; Edward Little, Baby; Rachel Croskerry, Dennis; Geoffrey Glass, Deano; Evia McCracken, Bazil; Niami Chestnutt, Bob; Emily Dobbin, Ellie.

Class 6: 90cm

Jessica Halliday, Douglas; Amy Lee Hanbey, Arthur; Jamie Lee McKenzie, Lulu; Valerie Penny, Oskar; Flora Campbell, Kim; Amy Frew, Minty.

Class 7: 1m

Jessica Halliday, Douglas.

Class 8: 1.10m

Eenna Hamilton, Elle May; Frankie Kealey, Dan.

Class 9: 1.20m

Frankie Kealey, Dan; Eenna Hamilton, Elle May.

Additional Dates for your Diary

There is a series of events coming up this month as Connell Hill will host a showing and working hunter two-day festival show organised over the weekend of April 19 and 20. Horses will compete on Saturday and Ponies on the Sunday. This show will take in all classes in preparation for the Northern Ireland Festival, and is one not to be missed. Entries online and further details available from Gillian Creighton and Connell Hill Facebook pages.

On April 12 and April 26 Connell Hill Equestrian will host further unregistered jumping training shows, starting at 10am