Grand Prix on the double at Ravensdale Lodge

It was a day of mixed emotions at Ravensdale Lodge on Sunday for Ronnie Hollinger, owner of Ballybay, Co. Monaghan based Creevagh House Stud and well-known figure on the Irish show jumping circuit. Ronnie, a great supporter of the North Louth venue, divided his time on the day between the arena where his horses were jumping and the living room at owners Niall and Dolores Connolly's house, where he was avidly following his second passion, formula one Grand Prix racing. A fervent supporter of the Mc Laren F1 team, Hollinger was to be disappointed when the prancing horse of the Ferrari team took the chequered flag in Singapore, the only floodlit, night - time Grand Prix in the racing calendar. Ronnie's day was to improve greatly and finished on a high note when stable jockey Delyth Collins rode his mare, Creevagh Miss Jones to a great victory in the Ravensdale Lodge sponsored €1000 end of season Mini Grand Prix. Thirty six starters took on International course designers, Tom Holden's track with only four combinations managing to jump clear to go through to the jump off. First to go against the clock was Northern rider, Catherine Thornton riding B. Doherty's Ben Muller. A steady, clear time of 43.63 seconds was the early target set by the pairing and they were followed by in form, local rider, Tara Dunne on her mother Siobhan's Touched Up. Tara had just won the previous 1.20m class in great style on Evita, again owned by her mother Siobhan and was now taking on the Grand Prix track on their summer acquisition from the Linda Courtney stable. Tara, in the form of her life gave it a real go and came home fault free in a time of 41.21 seconds to put her into provisional first, the short drive of five miles to Ravensdale Lodge from the Dunne's base in Gyles Quay was looking like a very profitable one. Another relatively local rider to the centre and only male competitor in the four way line up, John Floody would have other ideas however on the outcome of the class as he entered the arena on Paula Rafter's PMR Caballero. Meath based Floody is having the season of his life with numerous big wins throughout the year in the Chippison Spring Tour, National and Premier Grand Prix series, Chippison spring league winner as well as a host of other events throughout the year which included wins at Ravensdale Lodge. His Newgrange stable has a great strength in dept of talent with super owners at the moment and while most people would have expected his current in form horse, Larkhill Cruiser to be in the jump off, it speaks volumes of the horses that he has at his disposal, as "Cruiser" did not make the jump off. A specialist against the clock, Floody never hangs about and he cut every corner possible to record what seemed an unbeatable time of 37.74 seconds. Last paring into the arena was Delyth Collins riding Ronnie Hollinger's Creevagh Miss Jones and Hollinger may have been forgiven for thinking that he was still in the living room watching the formula one racing as Collins pushed all the buttons as if she were driving a Ferrari (or Mc Laren) around the track to shave fractions from Floody's time and win the class in a time of 37.05 seconds. A great and very popular win for the Creevagh team.

The first class of the day, the 1m class was won in great style by the pairing of Eleanora Cunningham and Holly Balloo in a time of 30.72 seconds. This pairing has a fine record over the years at Ravensdale Lodge with many wins in the 1m and 1.10m events staged. Second in this class was Zoe Woods riding Fortridge Moonlight clear in a time of 32.81 seconds, slotting into third place promising young rider Conor Mc Eneaney steered home E. Matthew's Flagmount Felina in a time of 34.29 seconds while Janice Pothecary came home fourth on her own Violet Hill in a time of 39.38 seconds, fifth place went to the Conrad Mc Guinness owned and Andrea Mc Parland ridden grey gelding Animo Cruise in a time of 39.82 seconds while sixth place went to Shannon O' Hare riding Pip home clear in a time of 42.67 seconds.

It was a case of "Groundhog Day" in the 1.10m class as no one could deny the wonderful pairing of Eleanora Cunningham and Holly Balloo in a time of 32.88 seconds, second in the class was Roslyn Brown riding her own Ringfort Pandora clear in a time of 33.30 seconds. Delyth Collins got the Creevagh day off to a good start this time steering Ronnie Hollinger's Creevagh Grey Rebel into third place in the class, stopping the clock on 33.42 seconds, Carlingford Prince, owned and ridden by Nicola Mallon came home fourth in a time of 34.49 seconds while Mary Mc Shane riding her own Rimillissa picked up fifth place prize money stopping the clock on 34.51 seconds. Sixth in the class were Sinead Loughran and Flight Connection who broke the beam in a time of 36.31 seconds.

Tara Dunne began her good run of the afternoon by winning the 1.20m class on her mother Siobhan's Evita, the pairing stopping the clock in a time of 24.87 seconds, good enough to beat young rider Frank Curran into second place on his father John's Lolita, Frank pushed all the way breaking the beam on 26.69 seconds, third in the class was Edward Little on the Davis Prentice BMW owned Qualisa De Vansichant, clear in a time of 27.36 seconds, Tara Dunne picked up some more valuable pocket money, this time riding mother Siobhan's Touched Up into fourth place in the class in a time of 28.12 seconds. Fifth place went to Catherine Thornton riding Recoepa Rose clear in a time of 28.29 seconds while Sean Hanley slotted into sixth place on Miss Capone, the pairing stopping the clock in a time of 29.42 seconds.

Grand Prix on the double at Ravensdale Lodge

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