Corrandulla Dressage Show
Corrandulla 28/06/2009
There can be no more typical West of Ireland setting than Corrandulla Show in County Galway. In a level, well prepared field, surrounded entirely by a Galway stone wall, dressage competitions took place in a calm atmosphere away from the hectic activity of the rest of the show.
Margaret Pettigrew traveled from her Wicklow base to judge the Preliminary and Novice competitions while Shauna Finneran presided over the Potential Dressage Pony and Pony Club classes.
It was a day of doubles for several riders. Sarah-Jane Arthur made her journey from Limerick worthwhile by claiming first place in both Preliminary classes in the registered section on her uncle's horse Craggataska Cookie. Eavan Murphy and Dangan Rose won two red rosettes in the unregistered sections of 7 and 18. And Ruth Brennan riding Scarlet emulated both previous riders by winning the Junior section in both Preliminaries. Other placings were filled by riders from Sligo, Mayo, and Galway.
Eavan Murphy continued her winning ways in the Novice classes, this time with the black mare, Nocturne de Coudre. This combination was placed first in Test 25 ahead of Lizzie Naughton and Absolutely Fabulous and in Test 37 in front of Mary Mitchell and Creemully Western Melody.
Anna Mary Hudson and the veteran campaigner, Twist of Autumn, claimed both Elementary classes.
The Potential Dressage Pony drew the much interest as it was an all Connemara Pony affair. The eventual winner was the stallion, Young Walt, who has competed successfully in DI competitions by Padraig Flannagan throughout the winter. Second was Julia Hession's homebred Beezies Twix ridden by Anne Lawrence and third place went to Cork-bred Templebready Hobson with Anna Mary Hudson on board.
Alanna Cazabon-Sullivan with her two little gems, Ruby and Amber, went home with first and second place in the Under 12's classes. While Pataire Crawford and Tabita Polyanna scored well enough to earn a win in the Pony Club Class ahead of Chelsey Heaney, One Cool Cookie, and Catherine Gorton, Simply Red.