Rising eventing star Patrick Whelan was crowned Irish National Champion after a strong finish as runner-up behind Australian Kevin McNab in the Connolly’s RED MILLS CCI4*-S at Millstreet International Horse Trials.

The inaugural Connolly’s RED MILLS EI120 National Championship title is awarded to the highest-placed member of Eventing Ireland in the class.

Patrick, 28, from Murrintown in Co Wexford, has had a good month, completing his first Badminton in 36th place. At Millstreet, where he was riding owner-breeder Seamus Carew’s Altitu, he rose from seventh after dressage with a clear showjumping round and the second-fastest cross-country time of four penalties.

“He’s a really consistent horse who is rarely out of the ribbons,” said Patrick of the 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse by Orestus VDL with whom he was a member of the winning team in last year’s FEI Nations Cup at Millstreet.

“I’ve been competing him since he was six and have hardly ever had a bad day as we’ve come up through the levels. We’re off to Luhmuhlen (five-star) next, which is all part of the natural progression.”

Kevin, whose sympathetic horsemanship is always a joy to watch, was fastest across the country (3.6 time faults) with Sonia Moltke and his wife Emma’s nine-year-old Oldenburger Faro Imp and clinched the win, having led throughout the competition.

His less experienced horse, Wilfred Lancer, incurred a run-out and 15 penalties for a missed flag to drop from third to 22nd.

Ireland-based British rider Daniel Alderson was third on Islandwood Quality Control.

“Faro Imp has a real natural motor and travelled very well,” said Kevin. “I had one or two green moments with a young horse [Cassie in the CCI2*-L], but she will have come out of it a better horse when she finished.

“There aren’t many better cross-country tracks in the world and that is why we come to Millstreet every year.”

British five-star rider Gemma Stevens has retained her lead in the Noel C. Duggan Engineering CCI4*-L after an assured cross-country performance on Flash Cooley, in which she only added 1.2 time penalties. This gives her a rail in hand for tomorrow’s showjumping finale.

Only two riders achieved the optimum cross-country time of 10 minutes: Italy’s Giovanni Ugolotti, who has retained second place on Duke of Champions, and Ireland’s Aoife Clark, who rose from seventh place after dressage to third on Full Monty de Lacense.

Gemma also leads the Goresbridge Horse Sales CCI3*-L with another Cooley horse: TJM Equestrian’s Cooley Park Muze, a nine-year-old Irish Sport Horse by Pollux de Muze Z.

Again, she has the luxury of a rail in hand over the second- and third-placed Irish riders Jack O’Haire (Jamaica Rose) and Ben Connors (OLS King Aragon).

An exciting showjumping finale is assured in the Donal Hickey Motors CCI2*-L tomorrow with a mere 0.8 of a penalty separating the top three.

Kevin McNab lost his lead on Cassie with a cross-country run-out, but is in third place on Channel RF (by the same sire, Cassall) behind new leader Giovanni Ugolotti riding Valentine Tourres’ Magherard Candy Boy (by Sligo Candy Boy) and, in current second place, Ireland’s Robbie Kearns with the seven-year-old Irish Sport Horse Belline Thistle Bethelastime by Grafenstoltz.

As ever, the Pony riders were great fun to watch enjoying themselves on Paul Brady’s beautifully presented cross-country track. Kitty Cullen and Coppenagh Spring Sparrow finished comfortably within the optimum time of 6 minutes 51 seconds to hold onto their overnight lead in the Connollys Red Mills CCIP2*-L.

However, they do not have a showjumping rail in hand over Hugh Kelly and Fairhouse In A Pickle, who were even speedier and rose four places to second. Sweden’s Freya Von Moltke has slipped a place to third on Grantstown True Loves.

The cross-country for the rest of the short-format classes takes place tomorrow, starting with the CCI1*-Intro at 09.00 while showjumping for the long-format classes gets underway at 09.30. Both phases are available to watch on www.millstreet.horse/eventing where start lists and results can also be found.

Picture captions:

Patrick Whelan, first winner of the Connollys Red Mills EI120 National Championship.

Australian rider Kevin McNab, for whom the Millstreet International Horse Trials in Ireland was again a happy hunting ground, winner of the Connollys Red Mills CCI4*-S on Faro Imp.

Pictures by Bit-Media.