SHOW JUMPING

Joanne Fox

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The first qualifier for this year’s Connolly’s RED MILLS seven- and eight-year-old international class, to be held at the Discover Ireland Dublin Horse Show in August, took place at the Meadows Equestrian Centre in Co Armagh last week.

This competition features the top 20 combinations from four qualifiers held around Ireland, who are then joined at the Dublin Horse Show by up to 24 international entries.

At last week’s first qualifier for 2014, Greg Broderick secured his place in this year’s international class, with victory at the Meadows Equestrian Centre aboard Javas Keltic Mist. Owned by Elizabeth Forte, Javas Keltic Mist is an eight-year-old gelding by Ard VDL Douglas out of a Clover Hill dam.

Greg Broderick had almost four seconds to spare over the only other double-clear of the competition: Sean Kavanagh riding Pat and Clare Duffy’s seven-year-old Brookwood Supersonic (Concorde x Captain Clover). This combination also booked their ticket to the RDS along with Alexander Butler riding Caroline Byrne’s Hallowberry Cruz (Crusing x Clover Hill), who finished in third.

Declan Egan with the Deirdre Bourns-owned Cristobar (Cristallo x Lancer III) finished in fourth place while Shannon Mackensie on Karen Mackensie’s Bens Lady Lux (Leading Edge x Cavalier Royale) claimed the fifth and final qualifying place on offer.

Along with a very generous prize fund, the leading Irish rider in the Connolly’s RED MILLS seven- and eight-year-old international final at the Discover Ireland Dublin Horse Show will receive a tonne of Connolly’s RED MILLS horse feed.