DAFM Studbook Series Leg 2 – Mullingar Equestrian Centre

Mullingar Equestrian Centre played host to the second leg of the DAFM showjumping Studbook series at their Easter Horse Festival show which ran from Friday the 11^th to Sunday the 13^th of April. The series is delivered by Horse Sport Ireland, and funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine (DAFM) under National Breeding Services. This leg was a two day show with the qualifiers on Saturday and the top 25 or all double clears in the five and six-year-olds progressing to the finals on the Sunday. The venue was flooded with entries from across Ireland and the DAFM studbook series classes were no exception.

The first horse was in the ring at 8:00am on Saturday morning for the five-year-old section with a massive 74 entries taking on the challenging course set by Tommy Gibbons. Twenty-three of these combinations successfully navigated the course to produce a double clear and advanced to the final on Sunday along with two combinations placed in twenty fourth and twenty fifth. The six-year-old section saw a higher percent of clear rounds with twenty nine of the sixty entries producing a double clear and qualifying for Sunday’s final.

Thirty-three seven-year-old horses jumped for a share of the €1,140 qualifier prize money, and it was Mark Cleary riding the Michael Kelleher owned Martello Chapella (ISH) who was victorious. There were a total of thirteen double clear rounds in the class with the top 25 combinations returning for the final.

5yo Candy Ask K (ISH) and Tom Hearne. Photo by Laurence Dunne jumpinaction.net

Sunday kicked off with twenty-three five-year-old’s jumping the final where fourteen of these delivered a double clear to take a share of the €2,500 prize fund. Twenty-seven horses came forward for the six-year-old final with nineteen of these splitting the €2,500 prize fund. Breeder and groom prizes to the value of €300 and €100 respectively were also awarded at random in each class.

6yo Lissyegan Hero (ISH) and Damien Griffin. Photo by Laurence Dunne jumpinaction.net

The seven-year-old class asked lots of questions and the first clear was delivered by Saturdays winner Mark Cleary and Martello Chapella (ISH). A total of five horses returned for the jump off and it was the young rider Matthew Farrell riding Coco Douglas (ISH) who reigned victorious. The winning mare was bred in county Clare by Maria Griffin and is by ARD VDL Douglas (KWPN), out of Leahnoir De La Vie (ISH) who is by Pacino (BWP). There were three double clears in total with second place going to ESI Julius (ISH), ridden by Shane Dalton and third place was KMS Rocco (ISH), ridden by Joyce Veld.

7yo Coco Douglas (ISH) and Matthew Farrell. Photo by Laurence Dunne jumpinaction.net

The next leg of the series takes place in the Meadows Equestrian Centre on the 27^th of April. More information about the series is available by clicking HERE

Full results are available for the Mullingar leg on SJI Live

Current league tables are available below:

5yr Old League

6yr Old League

7yr Old League

Breeding:

Candy Ask K (ISH): 2020 mare by Casall La Silla (HOLST), out of R Candy (AES), by Heartbreaker (KWPN). Bred by Kirsten Farr, Co. Down

Lissyegan Hero (ISH): 2019 gelding by Ganesh Hero Z (ZANG), out of Lissyegan Lui Royale  (ISH), by Luidam (KWPN). Bred by Damien Griffin, Co. Galway

Martello Chapella (ISH): 2018 gelding by Celtic Hero B Z (ZANG), out of Isola Bella (ISH), by Indoctro (HOLST). Bred by John Kerr, Co. Kildare

Coco Douglas (ISH): 2018 mare by ARD VDL Douglas (KWPN), out of Leahnoir De La Vie (ISH), by Pacino (BWP). Bred by Maria Griffin, Co. Clare

ESI Julius (ISH): 2018 gelding by Aganix Du Seigneur (SBS), out of Triest Star (KWPN), by Cavalier (KWPN). Bred by Ennisnag Stud, Co. Kilkenny.

KMS Rocco (ISH): 2018 gelding by Zirocco Blue VDL (SF), out of Golivia VDL (KWPN), by Campbell VDL (HOLST). Bred by Olive Broderick, Co. Galway

This series is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine (DAFM) under National Breeding Services