Main arena success for Ulster Internationals

It was a week of successes for Ulster riders all round as Daniel Coyle and Conor Swail both won on Thursday, as girlpower was to the fore with two pony riders Lily Tunney (Tempo) and Cliodhna McEvoy (County Down) taking both height championships in the main arena while Jack Dore claimed the 128cms.

Daniel Coyle was reserve leading international rider of the show beaten by Puissance winner Mickey Pender by five points,while Athlone's Frano Derwin was third ahead of Italian Giulia Martinengo Marquet.

Niamh McEvoy on opening day at Simmonscourt was reserve champion in four year olds behind Harry Wood with Mhs Mix de Blue, while Hannagh Agnew finished third on Edentrillick Twisted Pixie. Kilkeel caravan site owner John McKibben, who has a vibrant sporthorse breeding farm under the Leestone banner, saw Shane and Padraic Kenny take fourth with his homebred Leestone Emeresky. Niamh was outstanding with Boleybawn Alvaro owned by Ronan Rothwell to win the Six Year old championship in the main arena on Sunday and now plans to take him to Lanaken to challenge for the six year old world championship in September.

Niamh added to her national leading rider title by taking runner up in the four year old final with Bp Wishes (Aganix/Cruising) owned by Greg Broderick scoring 163.5 just behind the winner Harry Wood with Mhs Mix de Blue owned by Matt Calderwood and Greg Broderick scoring 172.

Donegal breeder Gary Docherty of Carndonagh was delighted to see his homebred Ballyshan B F Superhero win the six year old qualifier ridden by Jason Foley for Saudi Olympic rider Abdullah Al Shabartley. This was a classic line up of 33 sporthorses and Jack Ryan finished second with Kilnamac Cody. Frano Derwin, a multiple winner at Balmoral summer show and May Show took the opening Speed Stakes with Parvati Aeg clear in 52.51 closely followed by Niamh McEvoy on her Balmoral GP 2022 winner Templepatrick Welcome Limmerick clear in 53.46. Derry ace Daniel Coyle kept the Ulster region to the fore with a third place on Lena VDL, a beautiful grey mare owned by VDL Stud in the Netherlands.

The Children on Horses Team final was won by Johnny O'Connell's blue team which included Sam Widger, Matilde Hughes Bravo, Lily Slattery and Templepatrick rider Arielle Allen.

Stephex of Belgium rider Emilie Conter, whose farm is hosting the next round of the Rolex GP series in two weeks time claimed the Minerva Stakes on Ocean Quality with a classic clear in 56.42. Julien Gonin was over a second slower in 57.91 for second while Olympic bronze medallist Cian O'Connor settled for third in 58.15 with Fox Chapel owned by Ronocco Jump and Pat Crean.

Offaly's US based Darragh Kenny, reserve Irish rider at Paris Olympics, rocked in to claim the Sport Ireland Classic from 50 starters producing a superb clear in 69.17 to win on the 13 year old Comme Il Faut/Contendro stallion owned by Vlock Stables and himself. Mikey Pender the 24 year old maestro and HHS Los Angeles were runners up in 70.20 ahead of Olympic team silver winner McLain Ward. Ward later went on to help the USA win the Nations Cup.

Young Timmy Brennan with Diademma Della Caccia was the red riband winner of the 1.35m to 1.4om Young Riders being the fastest jump off rider in 34.49. Emily Moloney with Temple Alice owned by Eddie Moloney finished a creditable second in 36.26 as young Banbridge whizz kid Robert Russell excelled for third in 36.99 with Ballyrobin Nimmerdor.

Lily Tunney and Fireman jumped onto the podium to win the opening 148cms pony qualifier from 28 starters while Cliodhna McEvoy from Rathfriland was the fastest jump off rider from 27 starters to win her qualifier in 39.04

Harvey Oscar Foley with The Silver Legend claimd the 128cms qualifier over Jack Dore with Woodside Jerry Lee bred by Owen Sharkey. Shane Dalton with Medoza VDL and Jessica Burke with Good Star du Bary were first and second in the opening qualifier for the International seven and eight year olds. Estate agent John Bannon won the three year old loose jumping class for the RDS trophy with Hugo bred by William McDonnell junior beating Mark Hession with Coolmorran Livant by Vivant van de Heffnick.

Ciara O'Connor with Ashwood Iron Lady from 16 entries won Thursday's Young Even rider class on Ashwood Iron Lady owned by Sharon O'Connor. Emma Egan was runner up with My Blue Valentine ahead of Correna Bowe with Patrickswell Sherry and Godfrey Gibbons with Conn Boy.

The champion four year old event horse of the show was Ciaran Moran's Leave it with me Cal, while reserve went to Ciara Kinsella. Steven Smith from Gilford County Down won the Tommy Brennan Perpetual trophy for champion five year old event horse ahead of Ian Cassells with Peak Freestyler.

The Saintfield rider crowned a great Thursday when he took the Clayton Hotel Speed Derby with Theo 160 with the fastest clear in 81.18 beating Frano Derwin' 81.74 with Parvati aeg. Once again the speed merchants rose to the fore for the next placings including Julien Gonin, Mikey Pender and Cian O'Connor.

Some 45 horses jumped in the Cashel Palace stakes where Daniel Coyle steered the apty named Incredible into first place on 34.91 to win just under 19,000 euro. The second six year old qualifying round saw Niamh McEvoy find her form with Boleybawn Alvaro to share first with Rhys Williams, Eoin Brennan and herself with Daliradas Boy.

Hans Kuehnle produced the colt winner of the Michael Osborne loose jumping trophy with Tullibards Lux Likea Benny scoring 94. Gabriel Slattery junior finished second with Castlelawn Emerald on 85 with Mark O'Connor on 84 with Bobby Johnson. Top three year old filly for the RDS cup was Eurythmics B shown by Andrea Etter scoring 90 ahead of Pat Maher on 89 with Lisenagh Kaskara. Champion two year old Cup went to Rebecca Monahan for Dermish Not a Dare by Captain Cruise out of a Pacino dam.

Kian Dore, a new supertalent in horses captured the second International 7 and 8 year olds with the Calvaro sired Helssinki owned by Carl Dore. From 43 entries Dore had the fastest round of the speed class in 67.14 ahead of Shane Dalton with Mendoza VDL clear in 68.59

Dermott Lennon slotted into third in this strong class with Kinmar Right on Time by Aganix out of a Dancing Boy dam and jointly owned by Gerry Marron.

Kian Dore's brother Jack after the Nations Cup went on to win the 128cm main arena pony championship with Woodside Jerry Lee clear in 34.84 from a four pony jump off. Kate Hurley was second with Brookhall Elizabeth with Hannah Horan in third and Alice Steele fourth with Victoria Steele's Sparkling Miss Leglands.

Comdt Geoff Curran with Dhf Alliance bred by Paul Douglas in Aughnacloy set the international arena alight on Saturday when they won the Royal Dublin International speed stakes. The Douglas/Lux Z mare was outstanding to gallop home in 57.49 for 9,306 euro. Once again Daniel Coyle and Lena VDL were close on the clock for second with 57.93. German icon Daniel Deusser with his speed mare Bingo finished third ahead of Julien Gonin on Valou du Lys.

McLain Ward and Contagious made the Dublin International jump off class his own with the consistent Contagious winning in 35.39, while fearless Mikey Pender was less than a second behind in 36.08. Harrie Smolders, the senior dutch rider partnered Ellie Sheane and her pony to win the International pony relay stakes beating Germany's Barbara Schnieper and Donnacha Burns. Mikey Pender and Jennifer Meagher were third,with fourth going to Jos Verlooy and Ruby Kelly.