WHILE this year has proved memorable for all the wrong reasons, September 2020 will be recalled with fondness by Britain’s Hattie Dinnis who made a successful international debut in the CCI*1-Intro at Ballindenisk last weekend on Ardeo Castleconnor.

Dinnis, one of three Kent-born triplets, was mentioned in these pages some weeks back as taking a night-time financial accounting degree at Griffith College while working for Melanie and Neil Wyrnn at their Ardeo Sport Horses’ yard in Co Wicklow. She had then partnered Ardeo Castleconnor to win a division of the EI100 at Loughanmore.

Thirty-one combinations appeared before Ireland’s Joanne Jarden (C) and Germany’s Weibke Hennig (B) and the phase concluded with Dinnis and Ardeo Castleconnor lying fifth, on a penalty score of 37. The lead was held at this stage by 14-year-old Matthew Love with the 12-year-old Westside Mirah gelding Cloughreagh Charlie (34.5) on whom his sister Holly and brother Timmy had both represented Ireland at European pony eventing championships.

Love, who rides out at weekends and during school holidays for his grandmother Dot, and also for Gordon Elliott, was never going to have a problem on the final phase across the country but, unfortunately, Cloughreagh Charlie had already lowered a pole to drop to second. Thanks to her double clear, Dinnis leapfrogged Love, and others, into the top spot with Ardeo Castleconnor, a 2017 Go For Gold sale graduate.

With one of just five other double clears, Alyssa O’Neill finished third on the eight-year-old Frankfort Boy gelding, Cydonia Frankly Cruising (38.7).

The winner, a seven-year-old gelding by Sligo Candy Boy, was bred in Co Mayo by Tom Fleming out of Miss Cavalier Royal (by Castletallagh Royale). Since winning at Loughanmore, Dinnis and the bay have been jumping at 1.10m and 1.20m levels at Cavan, Barnadown and JAG and have also competed at unaffiliated events at Killossery Lodge Stud.

“Ciaran (Glynn) does a great job with the tracks there so Hattie was well-prepared for her international debut,” commented Melanie Wrynn. “They will now do the EI110s at Hillcrest (today) and at Punchestown (next weekend).”