The course for this round was set by Frank Glynn and Tom Holden built a track which set high expectations on the riders of the way they had their horses going - this course required walking the course as it was built and allowing for no drifts or sways throughout the track as this dramatically altered the distances - it was an intelligent track which saw only square oxers on the course and everything was to maximum height and width.

The Grand Prix was well supported with all 41 listed for a start going through to starters orders - there were some interesting inclusions in todays' class - Junior rider, Benny Kuehnle has been scouring Ireland for a horse to take him to the Junior European Championships in July and an educated guess would suggest this is why we saw Benny on board CIan O'Connor's ABC Landliebe today. Although Benny - pictured below centre - finished with 8 faults in round one he rode the horse well and one would suspect that given a couple of more roundw on this feisty mare they will be in the placings.

Sarah Jane Tracy made her National Grand Prix debut today with her mother's Holmestead LIttle Lancer and she drew the short straw when she found her name first on the start list - 18 year old Sarah Jane - pictured below left - rode well and the 12 faults do not reflect the good ride she gave the horse.

Great to see Denis Flannelly competing in Ireland - he has done International duty this year in Portugal and Belgium and with the exceptional team of horses he has it nice for the home crowd to see him jumping.

Captain David O'Brien thrilled the crowd when he rode the little grey mare, Kilcummin - pictured below right - for the Minister of Defence after she has been out of action for a while - obviously the break did nothing to curb her amazing talent over a fence and exuberance through the course - they were not to be in the jump off today but now doubt they will be soon again once the horse settles back to work!

Of the 41 starters, 11 went through to what turned out to be an exciting jump off with surprises with every round.

The jump off track had spaces for long gallops between fences but the horses had to be very well educated to come back the rider instantly as asked for this to pay off - and there were some tight turns which could be made to cut the time - the turn from the oxer number fence 6 in round one gave the challenge of a tight right turn to the new fence 14 which was a very tall vertical and then a sharp left turn took you to 12A (oxer) and 12B (vertical) with a quick turn to the left over the rising oxer - only the most confident of horse and rider combinations should have attempted the two turns but many tried and failed!

First to go was Denis Flannelly of Kill International Equestrian Centre riding Mary Lou Cassone's Euforia - pictured below left - and they jumped a super round - this horse jumps 1.45m as if it was 1m and makes it look easy as well as small - Denis took things cautiously jumping a clear jump off round in 47.18secs on a track which had a time of 53secs leaving the door wide open for those following him.

Linda Russell and her own Anyway 33 - pictured below right over fence 12A - were not looking for a cautious time and they took some unbelievable turns especially from the oxer which was previously fence 6 and was the fourth fence in this jump off to the new fence 14, tall vertical - the turn paid off and they got through clear but a tight left turn into what was previously fence 12A, third last fence on the course left them with 4 faults in 36.86sec.
Shane Breen and his own Luandra - pictured below over fence 5 in the first round and was the third fence of the jump off - were next to go and Shane is not one to waste any time and today was no exception - he took a strong run from the first fence on course, fence 3 to fence 4B and paid the penalty when the rail fell - he rattled fence 14 but it staye din place and he finished with just the four faults in 44.52secs having slowed down after a fence so early in the jump off track,
Top Dollar, Eddie Moloney's own was next up and they clocked up a very good clear round - Top Dollar tapped a few on the way around but everything stayed in place and in showjumping that is all that matters. Eddie took a quiet and steady ride throug this track and took careful turns to finish clear in 45.34secs.
Pictured left: Eddie Moloney and Top Dollar as they clear the first fence in the jump off - this fence was fence 3 in the first round.
Next out was the classy Conor Swail and Samuel McQuade's Drumagoland Flight and this combination was deifnitely the betting public's
favourite to win todays class - but as so often happens with favourites, they didn't bring home the money today when they finished with 8 faults in 38.38secs after taking the run at fence 4B and having it down which unsettled the horse and fence 5 followed it to the floor.

Pictured left: Conor Swail and Drumagoland Flight taking on the tall and wide oxer.

After the first five riders we had just two clear rounds from Denis Flannelly and Eddie Moloney - six combinations to go and the track was looking more difficult than perhaps even the Course Designers had envisaged.
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