THE larger animals had plenty of ringside fans as the working hunter pony championship reached its final stage in Ring Two on Saturday.

However, judges Rosemary Hetherington and Louise Gaunt came down in favour of their 133cms class winner and second, Avril Hobson’s Brimstone Bowman and Liam Ruttle’s Horse and Jockey Clasper, who they left in that order.

The former, an 18-year-old Welsh gelding, was partnered by the owner’s daughter Sarah Keane who was riding at Dublin for just the second time. She has had a very successful season on the dun as they won their section of the Sports Pony Challenge and were on the Shillelagh Branch team who finished fifth in the Robbie Bailey Under 14 team show jumping championships at the Irish Pony Club Festival.

Hobson, who competed at Dublin herself last week, finishing fourth in the older Connemara performance championship on the home-bred Lon Mac Liomhtha, described Brimstone Bowman as a “lovely, careful pony who we hoped would do well.”

Carol Ruttle was delighted to be presented with the reserve sash. “This is easily my best result!” said the 13-year-old who has been riding Horse And Jockey Clasper for the past four years. “I’m trained by Lucy Cusack but just do working hunters.” The eight-year-old Horse And Jockey Clasper, a grey gelding, is now for sale.

The class winners who progressed to the championship judging were Stephanie Quill-Manley’s 13-year-old skewbald gelding My Romany Knight (143cms), Margaret Nelson’s busy 10-year-old Earl of Newbridge gelding Benny Liath (153cms) and Rachel Moore’s seven-year-old Mermus R mare Country Strong (Intermediate).

The divisions of the starter stakes were won by Jane Hancock’s 11-year-old piebald gelding Rockyview Brightspark and Brian Sheehan’s 15-year-old grey gelding Flash Dance.

The Kevin Millman-designed track seemed to cause fewer problems than usual but the ‘bridge’, which wasn’t put into temporary retirement with the ‘owl’ and ‘spider’s web’, still had its effect on the results.