Jesse Campbell dominates Drishane Castle international horse trials

Jesse Campbell, a Britain-based member of the New Zealand high performance squad, dominated the Drishane Castle international horse trials which concluded on Sunday in Millstreet.

The 25-year-old won the Noel C. Duggan Engineering CIC3* on a score of 44.3 penalties with the New Zealand thoroughbred Kaapachino ahead of his countryman Tim Price who, with the fastest cross-country round on Sunday, completed on 47.6 with the Irish Sport Horse gelding Bango. Best placed of the Irish riders was Oxfordshire-based Aoife Clark who partnered Richard Last’s ISH gelding Fernhill Adventure to finish third (48.6).

On a score of 44.3 with his only other ride at the Co Cork event, Campbell also landed the Eventing Ireland CIC2* class with the Dutch Warmblood gelding Cleveland, an eight-year-old by the thoroughbred stallion Watermill Swatch which stands in Loughrea.

Here, Clark finished second (48) with her own nine-year-old ISH gelding Rienroe Lucky Ranger ahead of another New Zealand rider, Blyth Tait, who had one of the fastest rounds in the class picking up 0.8 of a time penalty to complete on 49.1 with Darius IV (49.1).

Campbell and Cleveland were one of just three combinations to beat the clock the others being Co Down’s Emma Jackson who finished seventh on her dressage score of 58.6 with her 15-year-old ISH mare Amy B and Co Wexford’s Patrick Byrne who too completed on his flat work mark (67.6) with the eight-year-old ISH gelding BGS Urlanmore Prince.

In the Ulster Bank CIC2* class for seven-year-old horses it was Price who, completing on his dressage score of 53.1 penalties, came out on top riding his wife Jonelle’s New Zealand thoroughbred Kindred Spirit. Overnight leaders on 50.3, Ireland’s Heidi Hamilton (Dam Easy) and Australia’s Emma Dougall (Fernhill Tabasco) slipped to second and third with the addition of 4 and 4.4 cross-country time penalties.

Carol Gee, owner of the Fernhill Sport Horse Centre, had a busy day keeping an eye on graduates of her Kilkenny yard and was delighted to see young British rider Bubby Upton win the Gallivan Murphy Hopper Dolan CIC1* with the ISH gelding Fernhill Rock Star (a 12-year-old Ricardo Z gelding) when adding 0.8 of a time penalty to her excellent dressage score of 42.5.

Australia’s Kevin McNab slotted into second with the ISH gelding Creevagh Bobby Joe (42.5) ahead of another young British rider Lucinda Crawford and Turbo Toy (46.3). Best-placed of the Irish in this class was Co Wicklow’s Louise Bloomer who finished ninth with Jinnie Webb’s seven-year-old ISH mare Cavamiro.

Britain's Nicky Roncoroni won the Irish Sports Council CIC1* class for six-year-olds on the ISH gelding Templemartin Flight, a grey gelding by Laughton's Flight out of a thoroughbred mare. She completed on a score of 43.9, just ahead of Co Kildare's Melanie Young with Caroline Bjoerk's ISH gelding Ard Cluedo (45.1) with McNab placing third on another ISH gelding Brookfield Inocent.

The national pony class was won by Co Meath’s Stephanie Stammschroer with Morelands Affair.

Co Galway’s Cathal Daniels, who first produced the aforementioned Cleveland on the eventing scene, finished best of the Irish in sixth place with Rioghan Rua as the European young riders’ eventing championships concluded yesterday in Strzegom, Poland.

In spite of having no discard score, the Irish team held on to their overnight bronze medal position on a total of 164.80 behind the gold medal winners Great Britain (128.10) and Germany who took silver on 140.40.

The team comprised Daniels, Co Down’s Susie Berry who finished 14th on Carsonstown Athena, Co Meath’s Tony Kennedy and Westeria Lane (24th) and Co Antrim’s Harold Megahey who was eliminated following a fall with Chuckelberry on Saturday’s cross-country phase. Irish individuals Kelley Hutchinson (Ballyduff A-Z) and Jamie Nolan (Arodstown Aramis) finished 21st and 23rd respectively.