Same again, please, would sum up Michael Ryan’s approach at Badminton this weekend.

Today, April 28

Ireland eventing manager Nick Turner was not dissatisfied to see his team finish runner-up to the British again in the nations cup at Ballindenisk International Horse Trials yesterday, suggesting it was a realistic result.

The feature on this afternoon’s card at Thurles is the Grade 2 Michael Purcell Memorial and the very promising Our Duke can follow up his maiden hurdle victory. Jessica Harrington’s six-year-old looked really smart when running away with a bumper which has worked out quite well, and then lost little in defeat behind Death Duty in another race which has had its form franked.

The Paul Kiely-trained Inchiquin High is developing into a competent point-to-point performer and the seven-year-old supplemented last month’s Killeagh success by landing a cracking mares’ winners of two at yesterday’s well-attended Knockanard fixture, run under the auspices of the Avondhu Foxhounds.

Trish Ryan and Sam Watson had one thing in common after their dressage tests in the CCI three-star at the Ballindenisk International Horse Trials, in that they were both surprised.

Gerry O’Leary from Ladys Bridge will treasure fond memories of yesterday’s United Hunt Club’s point-to-point meeting at Ballindenisk as he rode and trained his first winner courtesy of Antirrhinum in the confined hunt maiden.

Having finished third of the three teams in last year’s inaugural FEI Eventing Nations Cup at Ballindenisk, the Irish will be bidding for improvement this weekend, writes John Tynan.

Another weekend, another $1m show jumping prizepot in the US and Kevin Babington is not without confidence.

The inaugural Eventing Ireland National Championships at Ballindenisk, Co Cork, will be a “major affair” according organiser Peter Fell. 

In-form handler Michael Winters must have felt like Bill Murray’s character in the widely-acclaimed film Groundhog Day at yesterday’s well-attended Killeagh Harriers point-to-point meeting as, for the second Sunday running, he struck with a hugely-exciting newcomer that had many of those present searching for previously unused superlatives.

Mesmerising. That’s really the only way that one could justifiably describe the performance of the Michael Winters-trained For Carmel at yesterday’s well-attended Muskerry Foxhounds point-to-point fixture on Jack Murphy’s farm at Aghabullogue as the towering bay hardly broke sweat on his initial career outing in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

Patricia Ryan hopes Dunrath Eclipse will pass his biggest test to date when he tackles today’s cross-country phase at the Johnson and Perrott Land Rover International Horse Trials in Cork.

Sam Watson slotted into third after dressage yesterday in the long-format three-star class at the Johnson and Perrott Land Rover International Horse Trials at Ballindenisk, Co Cork, but was in no mood to get ahead of himself.

Ireland show jumping manager Robert Splaine spoke yesterday of "sacrifices" made in preparation for the Alltech World Equestrian Games, but they counted for nought as the team failed to secure a place in the Rio Olympics.

Eventer Sarah Ennis yesterday highlighted the leading role played by show jumping coach Ian Fearon in Ireland achieving Olympic qualification at the World Equestrian Games (WEG) at the weekend.

There were some shock results at yesterday’s well-attended United Hunt Club’s point-to-point fixture at Ballindenisk outside Watergrasshill.

The strategic plan envisaged by the troika of Horse Sport Ireland, Teagasc and the RDS is fundamentally all about ensuring the horse sector can deliver on its potential.

The Hollinwell is developing into one of the very best point-to-pointers on the circuit and the British-bred recorded his fourth success of the season by destroying the opposition with his owner/trainer Eugene O’Sullivan’s 17-year-old son Eoin in the open lightweight at yesterday’s Duhallow Foxhounds Kildorrery fixture at Rockmills Stud.

Michael Winters is experiencing a fine run at present and Missunited’s handler sent out two winners in his absence at yesterday’s well-attended Dungarvan Harriers point-to-point fixture at Affane.

“Wonderful, wonderful,” was the reaction yesterday of Joseph Murphy following his win with Sportsfield Othello in the feature three-star contest at the Johnson and Perrott Land Rover International Horse Trials at Ballindenisk, Co Cork.

Britain’s Ollie Townend returns to the Johnson and Perrott Land Rover Ballindenisk International Horse Trials on a horse he’s nicknamed Imperial Disaster, and Bandon-based Michael Ryan feels he’s still a good bet to win the Goresbridge Go For Gold €50,000 bonus.

HORSES have galloped across the Fell family farm in Ballindenisk, Co Cork, for generations.

Davy Russell, on his first day back following an operation to repair a lung, drove Mr Cracker to victory in the featured Kevin Broderick Memorial Handicap Chase at Listowel yesterday.

Sarah Ennis was typically determined yesterday as she aimed to turn around a disappointing dressage score with BLM Diamond Delux in the feature CCI three-star at Tattersalls Horse Trials.

Yesterday’s United Hunt Club’s point-to-point fixture at Bartlemy brought new meaning to the phrase marathon for there were no less than 11 races with proceedings concluding at 6.15pm, following a 1pm start.

The Eugene O’Sullivan-trained Pocket Reader showed that tenacity is his definite strong suit by winning the open lightweight at yesterday’s United Foxhounds point-to-point fixture at Ballindenisk.

It could be argued that Sam Watson’s single-mindedness at Ballindenisk last week cost him a shot at the €50,000 bonus on offer next September.

Briton Ollie Townend doubled his chances of pocketing a €50,000 bonus next September when victorious with the Irish-bred Douglas at Ballindenisk International Horse Trials in Cork yesterday.

With ground conditions extremely testing at yesterday’s Doneraile Hunt point-to-point meeting at Dromahane, it was a case of the best wine being left until last as the Mark Spillane-trained Lanespark cemented his position as one of the best front-runners, participating in points, at present by recording a pillar-to-post success in the closing novice riders’ open.

Ballindenisk International Horse Trials in Co Cork has for a number of years held a strong attraction for British royal Zara Phillips.

British royal Zara Phillips is to be presented with a stunning drawing of herself and her horse Lord Lauries at Ballindenisk Horse Trials, Co Cork, this weekend.

The flags of five countries will fly at Ballindenisk Horse Trials next week, as the Cork venue continues to build on its stature.

The Aidan Kennedy-trained Moonlight Boy lit up Saturday’s rescheduled Kildorrery point-to-point fixture, which took place on the Vaughan family farm at Rockmills, by destroying the opposition in the closing six-year-old geldings’ maiden.

The impending change of chairman at Horse Sport Ireland has impacted on the second round of interviews for the Irish show jumping manager’s job.

Scrap metal thieves stole chevron signs erected to prevent further fatalities at a spot where a young father- of-two was killed in a traffic accident.

Ballindenisk will host the European Championships in 2019, if the Fell family ambitions are realised.

Capt Geoff Curran trained his sights on Ollie Townend at the Johnson & Perrott Land Rover International Horse Trials in Ballindenisk yesterday, ruing that the Briton’s superb performance in the dressage had blown away what would generally be considered a respectable score from the Army officer.