Ennis sets the early pace in dressage stage of competition

EQUESTRIAN SPORT BALLINDENISK INTERNATIONAL TRIALS:SARAH ENNIS leads the field after the dressage in the featured Johnson Perrott Land Rover CCI*** at the Ballindenisk international horse trials in Co Cork.

Riding her own Olympic Lux nine-year-old BLM Diamond Delux, the Co Meath horsewoman is on a score of 45.2 penalties, five points ahead of Belgium’s Constantin van Rijckevorsel and the Irish-bred Goodwins Reef (by Ghareeb). Cloughjordan’s Katie O’Sullivan is in third on 52 with Leo Brennan’s Carrick Diamond Lad gelding Lowhill Blackout.

Van Rijckevorsel is also lying sixth (52.4) on Butterfly Boy and is fourth with Rural Dean (46.7) in the CCI* where the lead is held by his wife Therese. She competes for Sweden and heads the rankings on 41.9 with Buzzy Bee du Langwater, ahead of Italy’s Vittoria Panizzon on River Vally Robert (43.8). Best of the Irish at this stage is Co Kilkenny’s Alison Holden who was in third place overnight with her own Maximus Orielius.

Panizzon, who won the invitational dressage at Castlemartyr, Co Cork, on Tuesday, holds a clear lead in the CCI** with her British-bred gelding Merlots Magic (39.6). Britain’s Olivia Wilmot rode Zebedee de Foja to achieve a score of 45 to lie second, just ahead of compatriot Oliver Townend who is on 48 with the Irish-bred Skyhills Cavalier (by Cavalier Two For Joy).

The Ireland-based New Zealander Andy Daines is fourth with his Irish-bred Spring Panorama, an eight-year-old by Porter Rhodes. Best of the Irish riders at this stage is west Cork’s Brian Morrison and PJ Hegarty’s home-bred Ricardo Z mare Fenyas Elegance (50.6).

Only half of the field have completed their dressage phase in the CIC*** where Townend leads on 40.2 with the 11-year-old Master Imp gelding Imperial Master.

O’Sullivan was given a mark of 44.7 for her work on Hilary Furlonger’s Ricardo Z gelding Kilpatrick Dancer while Co Armagh’s Steven Smith lies third on 48.9 with his own Swedish-bred 12-year-old Fernando, which last weekend clinched the Red Mills super league.

Dressage continues today with cross-country taking place tomorrow and show jumping on Sunday.

The Irish Breeders Classic show jumping competition continues today at Barnadown in Co Wexford. In addition to the richly-endowed classes for young horses, today the show will stage the final of this year’s TRM national grand prix series which will also serve as the qualifier for Sunday’s TRM/SJI premier series final.

CCI*** (after dressage): 1 Ireland’s BLM Diamond Delux (S Ennis) 45.2, 2 Belgium’s Goodwins Reef (C van Rijckevorsel) 50.2, 3 Ireland’s Lowhill Blackout (K O’Sullivan) 52, equal 4, Britain’s Classy Touch (O Wilmot) and Britain’s Alvescot Prada (M Wright) 52.2, 6 Belgium’s Butterfly Boy (C van Rijckevorsel) 52.4. CCI** (after dressage): 1 Merlots Magic (V Panizzon) 39.6 penalties, 2 Britain’s Zebede de Foja (O Wilmot) 45, 3 Britain’s Skyhills Cavalier (O Townend) 48, 4 New Zealand’s Spring Panorama (A Daines) 48.1, 5 Britain’s Hasty Imp (F Whittington) 48.3, 6 Britain’s DHI Bandit King (O Townend) 48.3. CCI* (after dressage): 1 Sweden’s Buzzy Bee du Langwater (Therese van Rijckevorsel) 41.9 penalties, 2 Italy’s River Vally Robert (Vittoria Panizzon) 43.8, 3 Ireland’s Maximus Orielus (Alison Holden) 44.8, 4 Belgium’s Rural Dean (Constantin van Rijckevorsel) 46.7, 5 Britain’s Contis (Ruth Burnard) 47.1, 6 Britain’s The Little Bay Horse (Roo Fox) 50.8. CIC*** (after first day’s dressage): 1 Britain’s Imperial Master (O Townend) 40.2 penalties, Ireland’s Kilpatrick Dancer (K O’Sullivan) 44.7, equal 3, Ireland’s Fernando (S Smith) and Britain’s Viva La Diva II (N Halliday) 48.9, 5 Ireland’s Horseware Malachi (S Ennis) 50.1, 6 Ireland’s Bolabaun (Capt Geoff Curran) 51.3.