THE Association of Irish Riding Clubs held their Connolly’s Red Mills-sponsored national hunter trials championships last Sunday at Nuenna Farm, where they were due to run in early April but had to be postponed because of heavy overnight rain.

A very wet morning resulted in a 20-minute delay to the action getting underway on Sunday but, once the rain went through, it was a lovely day at the Co Kilkenny venue, where the Jill Maher-designed track came in for a lot of praise from riders. The day’s technical delegate was Donal McKenna.

The entries were down by around 25 on last year, with 144 riders (149 horses) being listed to compete. Forty-four of the organisation’s 116-affiliated clubs were represented with poor support from some regions. This comment certainly doesn’t apply to the large West Region with a great entry from clubs in Co Donegal in particular.

Sponsor Connolly’s Red Mills were represented at Nuenna Farm by Aisling O’Brien, who presented the first individual prize to Kilrainy’s Finola Clogher who finished bang on the optimum time of seven minutes in the RC80 championship with her Irish Sport Pony gelding Killallon Grey Mist (Dunbeggan Grey Mist - Clochbhui Saoise, by Anbally Tiger).

Her Kilrainy clubmate, Guoda Rasisyte, finished two seconds under to fill the runner-up spot with the 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare Lisatara Hope, ahead of Thomastown and District’s Jade Douglas who was three seconds over with Stella Jane. Four of the 41 starters failed to complete.

“I bought ‘Misty’ as a five-year-old from Mosstown member, Carol Mulvihill,” revealed Clogher. “I have him six years and we’ve had some great success and fun with Kilrainy Riding Club. He’s a super little horse who just loves to jump. We’ve had great luck at the AIRC National Hunter Trials, as we won the RC80 pairs in Annaharvey in 2022 and came third in the pairs last year in Nuenna.

Absolutely thrilled

“It’s been a goal of mine [for] quite a while to win the individual championship, so I’m absolutely thrilled; I enjoy trying to get the optimum time. Our win on Sunday was extra special as we lost a lot of last year due to laminitis. It was a long road to recovery and we only got back jumping in January this year. I’m very grateful to my vet and farrier for getting him right.

“We’ve had quite a comeback, winning the Midlands show jumping league and we were on the winning RC80 team at the Festival. Going forward, I’ll pass the reins over to my husband James next weekend for the Meath hunter trials (at Dunderry tomorrow). Then we’ll get back to some show jumping, hopefully do a few legs of the West Leinster league and then aim for Kilrainy’s Christmas Charity show at the end of November; it’s always a great day out.

“I thought Nuenna built a fantastic course on Sunday. It was challenging yet very enjoyable to ride. They put a lot of effort into the course and it didn’t go unnoticed. The ground was perfect and the fences looked great. I was also delighted that it was measured and timed at a decent cross-country pace. Well done to Nuenna Farm, Elaine and all her team at the AIRC for running a fantastic day. I had a great weekend with Kilrainy and the win was the icing on the cake!”

Clogher had joined forces with Kilrainy clubmate John McManus (Croi Diamond) for the RC80 open pairs which got the day’s action under way, but here had to settle for fifth behind Nuenna Farm’s Jillian Maher (Peach Snaps) and Lindsay Kavanagh (Pretty And Problematic). The winners finished on the optimum time, ahead of fellow Nuenna Farm members Irene Leahy (Irish Tinker) and Paul McDonald (Blondie My Merry Buddy), who were eight seconds over.