Competition is underway at Millstreet International Horse Trials, Co Cork, Ireland where more than 400 horse-and-rider combinations representing 14 nations have gathered.

The 19 starters in the Noel C. Duggan Engineering CCI4*-L have completed their dressage tests and British five-star rider Gemma Stevens is at the head of the leaderboard at this early stage after producing an expressive, accurate test on Flash Cooley for a score of 26.4.

Brazilian rider Marcio Cavalho Jorge is in second place on Royal Encounter and dual Olympic gold medallist Laura Collett is lying third with new ride Drumgiven Mr Charisma. The three top-placed horses are all Irish Sport Horses – Flash Cooley is by CSF Mr Kroon out of an OBOS Quality mare, Castlefield Ruby.

“He was a joy to ride and did everything in a relaxed, happy way,” said Gemma of Prue Dawes’s 13-year-old grey gelding.

After walking the cross-country course designed by Mike Etherington-Smith, Gemma commented: “They make such an effort here at Millstreet. The presentation of the course and of the going are superb and the new fences look educational. It’s great that the organisers here keep on investing and upgrading everything.”

All other classes are ongoing: Britain’s Louise Bradley and Ardeo Mandela head the 28-strong Goresbridge Horse Sales CCI3*-L on a score of 27.5 and Millstreet regular Kevin McNab from Australia riding Cassie leads the Donagh Hickey Motors CCI2*-L at the halfway mark on 28.3.

Britain’s Emily Young-Jamieson on Chica Naika is the current leader of the Foran Equine CCI3*-S with 28.9 penalties, Hallie Coon and Boleybawn Olivia, members of a strong USA squad, are leading the CCIYH2*-S Coral Cove Championship with 32.3 and Maeve Deverell and Annaharvey Dunowen lead the Carr & Day & Martin CCI1*-Intro on 25.

Two well-supported and competitive Dubarry Burghley Young Event Horse qualifiers saw victories for Diarmuid Ryan and Bridget Speirs’s BT Just Special by I’m Special De Muze out of an Irish Thoroughbred mare, Chitter Chatter (five-year-olds) and Jason Doerflinger with Ralph Conroy’s Milchem Giovanni by Tyson out of an Irish Sport Horse mare Milchem Dreamer (four-year-olds).

All other classes conclude tomorrow, with the Connolly’s Red Mills CCI4*-S kicking off at 12 noon; Kevin McNab and Wilfred Lancer are first into the arena.

Picture caption: Gemma Stevens and Flash Cooley impress the ground jury (Angela Tucker (GBR), Bea di Grazia (USA) and Joanne Jarden (IRL)) to lead the Noel C. Duggan Engineering CCI4*-L on a score of 26.4.

Images credit: Bit-Media