Badminton winner Chris Bartle may not be in Blarney, but the work he put into Five-A-Side has paid dividends as the nine-year-old heads the two-star field at Blarney Castle with his new partner Anne Chambers Bondi.
The Suffolk-based rider took over the ride on Anne Henson's horse at the beginning of 1997 and went on to claim the Scottish Intermediate Championship at Thirlestane Castle last autumn. The Blarney dressage judges were equally impressed with Five-ASide yesterday and all three were unanimous in awarding him top marks to leave him three points clear at the end of the first day of dressage.
Tom Doherty, who fell with Ballyharry at the fourth fence in Punchestown last month, is best of the Irish after re-routing to the Co Cork fixture with the massive bay. A mark of 49.6 leaves the Co Antrim rider a single point adrift of third-placed Hendrik Degros from Belgium.
The home side is faring rather better in the one-star with four in the top six, including overnight leader Patricia Donegan and the grey Don't Step Back, who finished runner up in the young horse final here last year. The Bandon rider has a slim advantage over dressage specialist Rachelle Harding with Kingsize.
Don't Step Back was bred in Clonakilty by P J Lenehan and was then sold to current owner Joe Savage. The overnight advantage in the one-star is some compensation to Patricia Donegan for missing out in the two-star with Don't Step Back's half-brother The Shinkeman.
