Mid Antrim Hunt Jump Cross Huge Success at Castlehill

News Desk | October 7, 2013

Taylor Hunter on Ballybollen Blue 2nd in the 50cm class

On Saturday 5th October a Mid Antrim Hunt Jump Cross was held at Castlehill Equestrian Centre and it proved to be an extremely successful event with very respectable entries considering how many other things were happening on the same day. A great deal of work was involved in setting up the course which was designed by Fiona Magill and Jamie Sloan with Andy Hamilton and Beverly Caves directing operations. Andy Hamilton has been a very busy man over these past weeks with the recent point-to-point, the Jump Cross and his own Hunter Trials next Saturday 12th October at Knockan Road, Broughshane. After the heavy rain on Thursday the ground was somewhat wet but thankfully a glorious day on Saturday dried up the ground in no time.
The Castlehill event consisted of a round of show jumps in the arena followed immediately by a cross country round, with jumps for the

A delighted Lucy Gillespie winner of the 50cm class

very young up to the most testing Open course. It was not a speed contest but the clear rounds were decided by those who were closest to the optimum time. In fact all day no-one was inside the optimum time as the cleverly designed course was not one for flat-out galloping but required skill to negotiate the twists and turns. There was a great variety of cross-country fences with coffins, banks, open ditches and every sort of fence including a few knockable ones including Hickstead rails which are guaranteed to catch out the less experienced. There were a few spills and tears in the 50cm class but with plenty of help and encouragement from parents for those that really needed it, all ended in smiles and it was a major education for the children and their ponies. The biggest smile was on the face of Lucy Gillespie who, on her smashing pony aptly named Lucy’s Boy, had lovely rounds in both show jumping and cross country sections and won the 50cm class. Taylor Hunter on Ballybollen Blue was 2nd, Zoe Dickey on Silver 3rd, and Jessica Mark on Mr Sparkles 4th.
The next competition was the 70cm and James McNabney looked like he might be in the red ribbons for the Under 14’s section, but from when Bob Hamilton came into the ring it was clear he was out to win and steamed round both courses on Stan the Man with a blistering time that put James McNabney into second place. At a slightly more ladylike pace came Erin Dunseath in 3rd on Malibu and Orla O’Kane on Floyd in 4th place. In the 70cm for Over 14’s, Joe Hamilton who whips in for the Mid Antrims and is a few days short of 15 years old, rode beautiful clears in both parts of the course to win 1st place, followed by seasoned hunter Walter Irvine on his daughter Ruth’s Glittering Captain in 2nd. Dawn Reeve was delighted with her ultra reliable cob Jack who sailed round steadily with his ears pricked all the way in a lovely couple of rounds to come 3rd. Joe Hamilton was only caught out by the Hickstead rails to have 4 faults and come 4th on the young horse, Colonel Mustard. Before the Open Class started there was some fairly extensive fence rebuilding after a competitor did a good demolition effort on the Open point-to-point fence, deciding it was an easier option than the little log.

James McNabney 2nd in the 70cm class on Pedro

The Open 90cm course had quite a few extra fences with competitors jumping a wall with a telegraph pole on top to go out into another field where there were two portable fences in the open before they turned to jump back down into the main field again. There were three faultless rounds in both courses but quite a few four-faulters who either had a pole down in the show jumping or were caught out by the two knockable fences on the cross country. Others were unluckier, but all riders stayed aboard and all got round after a few trials and tribulations. Fiona Magill, who with Jamie Sloan, Beverley Caves and Orla McLaughlin, had such success in the Dublin Horse Show Inter Hunt Chase this year, toned down her Hunt Chasing speed just enough to ride a steady winning clear and almost nail the time, just two seconds over the optimum time of 2 and a half minutes. She was riding her hunt-chasing mare Merrin who has turned into such a great all-rounder. Second was Paul Caves on his wife Beverley’s young horse Leo, clear but just 3 seconds slower than Fiona. Beverley was too busy to ride as she was occupied sprinting with her stopwatch from the

Fiona Magill winner of the Open 90cm class being congratulated by Tommy Caves

finishing points of the cross country to start the next competitor in the showjumping arena and back again, so she must have been exhausted by the end of the day. Third was Joe Hamilton on the stunning and talented mare Sally who was only a second behind Paul. 4th was Ruth O’Brien on the veteran Mr Spooks who has given Ruth and her father Walter such pleasure over the years in competitions and on the hunting field.
The success of the day was due in a huge way to Mid Antrim Hunt Master Andy Hamilton’s drive and determination to work so hard for the hunt, providing the impetus for these events, ably assisted by all his family, and to Fiona Magill and Jamie Sloan who have been working so hard building fences for both the Saturday events. Thanks must go to Beverley and Paul Caves for the use of Castlehill and all their hard work and to all the teams of people who have been turning out to help. It has been a very busy period for the Hunt but they are all looking forward to next Saturday’s Hunter Trials and then the start of the hunting season.