Despite increased entries, passes dropped slowly at last week’s Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) Stallion Inspections in Cavan Equestrian Centre.

Just eight of the 30 Irish Sport Horse and Irish Draught candidates got positive results.

From a group of 18 Sport Horse candidates for phase one, just three were successful.

There is a good argument to be made for a preliminary screening process similar to that used for elite sales that would forewarn owners about the standards that must be reached if their three- and four-year-old colts are to meet the requirements of inspection. This might avoid many costly but unsuccessful trips to Cavan.

For this week, I wish to concentrate on the successes achieved in the Irish Sport Horse sector. We will cover the Irish Draught Class One passes next week.

Traditional Irish

Swinford’s Susan Malee successfully presented her three-year-old Carrabeg The Full Irish (ISH TIH) midway through Wednesday’s session.

He was the first in his age group to be announced as having met the requirements in conformation, movement and athleticism. By Billy Twomey’s former international star Ardcolum Duke (ISH TIH) that traces all the way back to Flagmount Boy (ID), he is out of Susans’s Carrabeg Flash, who is by the Cruising stallion Flex A Bill. The second dam was by Clover Hill. Also from Mayo, Sandra Duffy’s Like a Star also passed. This six year – old is by Star who is a son of Nick Skelton’s winner Quick Star.

Then there was a long wait before there was another phase one success. This was achieved by Andrea Etter of Belmont House Stud in Offaly, who is daughter of long-time Swiss buyer of Irish horses Gerhard Etter. Her four-year-old Mr Connery B is by Zangersheide sire Ganesh Hero Z that goes back to the Thoroughbred Good Twist. His dam combines Dutch and German bloodlines.

Double Success For Boleybawn Alvaro

Having passed phase one on the opening day, Ronan Rothwell’s Boleybawn Alvaro went on to shine in Thursday’s ridden phase and be termed preliminary approved. He is by the Diamant de Semilly-sired Dominator 2000 Z and out of a dam that has Carthago and the great jumping mare Ratina Z in her background.

Also ridden to preliminary approved status was Mikey Pender’s four-year-old Madgeslane Luidam that had passed phase one at last year’s inspection. This one is by another of Billy Twomey’s international winners, Luidam. Mikey bred him out of an O.B.O.S. Quality dam that traced back to the thoroughbred Imperious that also gave us the good eventing sire Master Imp.

Fully approved after just linear profiling were Deirdre Reilly’s Finnegan D by Singapore and VDL Stud/Eamonn McArdle’s Zapatero by Chin Chin.