14 Jul Mervue Equine Leinster Summer Tour this weekend at Mullingar
Mervue Equine Leinster Summer Tour reaches midway point
Now at the midway point, competition in the Mervue Equine Leinster Summer Tour is heating up as top combinations battle it out to put valuable points on the board. Although James Hogg who is the league leader in both division is not down to contest the next round he will still be in a strong position going into the round at Tattersalls on the 22nd of July if he chooses to contest.
The popular series will take centre stage at Mullingar Equestrian on Saturday and it boasts a impressive start-list with leading combinations from the senior, young rider and amateur ranks down to take it on. In the 1.35m section, 59 riders have declared to contest this round. Amongst those included on the start-list are top senior riders such as Tholm Keane, Eddie Moloney, Damien Griffin, Jessica Burke, Gerard Clarke, Michael Whyte, Jonathan Andrew and Darragh Ryan. The league which also includes a young rider bursary prize from Bertram Allen will see leading young riders battle it out. Amongst those declared are Jack Ryan, Cormac Foley, Chloe and Robyn Fagan, Harriet Ella Cooper, John Greene, Stephen Murphy and Nano Healy. All these riders will be ready for top competition having contested the RDS qualifiers over the last few months.
Winner at the last round at Coilog with Cavalier Teaca, young rider Jack Ryan will be looking to add points to his Tally, as will his mentor Eddie Moloney who took second place with Cruicerath Flexianna at Coilog. Ryan demonstrated his talents at Coilog when he also took the win in the SJI National Grand Prix. Waterford native, Tholm Keane is in a strong position having clocked up a series of good results which see’s him on the top end of the leaderboard. In Coilog he took fourth place with Highly Efficient. Placed fifth in Coilog in the 1.35m, Harriet Copper will have her eye on the ball.
In the 1.20m section both Tholm Keane and Jack Ryan will also be ones to watch having placed having proved consistent in other rounds. Kildare rider Stephen Murphy and Exelsoir Van De Noordheuvel will be looking to add to their tally having finished runner-up to Ger O’ Neill at Coilog, as will Gerard Clarke who took two places at the last round with Anni San and Jockeyhall Midas Touch. Other combination to watch is the winner of the round at Oylegate, Jonathan Andrew and The Hurricane. This combination will be up for the challenge having finished fourth in the SJI National Grand Prix at Bannow and Rathangan on Thursday.
Emer Birmingham