British riders scored a virtual whitewash at the Necarne Castle international three-day event in Co Fermanagh yesterday, claiming four out of five classes, with British-based Australian Matt Ryan sweeping up the last available slot in the winner's enclosure for the two-star CIC.
The feature Horseware Ireland two-star CCI went Gary Parsonage, a member of Britain's Atlanta Olympic team, who led from start to finish with the Irish export Hallo Sportsfield. A clear inside the time across country was matched by a faultless show jumping round yesterday to leave him at the head of the field.
Ireland's Caroline Bjoerk, who had held overnight second after Saturday's cross-country with Just Nimbus, slid to fourth with a single mistake in the show jumping to allow Parsonage's compatriots Tom Robinson (Conspicuous) and Nigel Taylor (Orbit Dancer) up into second and third.
The show jumping also accounted for Trevor Smith and Tempo, dressage leaders in the one-star CCI who had held their advantage with a brilliant performance across the country.
Smith, who switched from a show jumping career to eventing, seemed a dead cert to go clear over the coloured poles yesterday, but the six-year-old Tempo hit the first element of the combination to drop below Britain's Kitty Boggis and Five Boys by a mere .2 at the finish.
Co Wicklow's Louise Bloomer, who had filled the top two slots in the juniors after the dressage, had already weakened her hold with a cross-country stop on leader Joe Brown, but moved ahead with her second horse Bayfield after going clear inside the time, only to lose out in the show jumping with four down. That allowed 17-year-old Briton Sally Dawson up into the top spot on Just A Nightmare to leave Bloomer second with Joe Brown and third on Bayfield.
Matt Ryan, Barcelona Olympic champion, headed an Australian trio when scoring in the two-star CIC with Bonza Puzzle, the horse he hopes to ride at the Athens Games, while Britain's Nina Barbour thwarted Irish hopes in the one-star equivalent which she won with Butter Ball Brown from the home side's Susan Shortt on Tyrella Lovesong.
CCI two-star (final placings) - 1, Britain's Hallo Sportsfield (Gary Parsonage), 46.4 penalties; 2, Britain's Conspicuous (Tom Robinson), 55.6; 3, Britain's Orbit Dancer (Nigel Taylor), 56.4; 4, Ireland's Just Nimbus (Caroline Bjoerk), 59.8; 5, Ireland's Stanwick (Janet Murray), 61.2; 6, Ireland's Ballyneety Duca (Edmund Gibney), 61.2.
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