For the third year in a row, Barry O’Neill has been crowned as the champion rider within his home region, following a dominant season in the east.
The eastern season drew to a close at the rescheduled Laois Foxhounds fixture in Stradbally, a fixture that the reigning champion was not at and it was 21-year-old Shane Fenelon who took riding honours with not only a first career success, but also a first double.
Such has been O’Neill’s dominance within the region, from the opening fixture there at Castletown-Geoghegan in early October, he already had the title wrapped up in advance of Stradballly, with his 30 winners ensuring that he rode more than double the number of winners of any other rider.
That total of 30 winners, and a strike rate of 38% for the season within the region, is his best to date, and betters his season-ending totals of 28 (2016/17) and 27 (2017/18) from the last two years, to complete his hat-trick of titles there.
Rob James ends the season in the runners-up spot, with Jamie Codd third and Anthony Fox fourth.
Eastern Region Standings 2018/19
Barry O’NEILL 30 wins
Rob JAMES 13 wins
Jamie CODD 11 wins
Anthony FOX 9 wins
Pa KING 8 wins
Gerry SPAIN 7 wins
