Margie McLoone

RIDERS were restricted to qualifying just two horses for the Performance Irish Draught championship at Dublin this year which resulted in some small sized classes at the four qualifying venues.

The names of all those who qualified (and those who didn’t) appear on the Dublin Horse Show website but there are some deserving of special mention – among them a favourite of this writer, Ann Lambert’s Killinick Bouncer who was bred by Pennsylvanian Leslee Ashbury out of the Flagmount King mare Eileen Dun.

The 14-year-old son of Grange Bouncer rarely puts in a poor performance but, under his new rider for this season, Ciaran Moran, only secured his qualification at Rincoola. As Lambert won the older horses’ class (and subsequently the performance championship) on the stallion in 2015, she is barred from riding him again in this section but will be on board Bouncer in Simmonscourt on Sunday when she captains Carne Riding Club in the team challenge show jumping championship.

Last year’s champion, Gortfree Lakeside Lad and rider Linda Murphy are returning as a combination as they have moved into the older horse class. Sean Barker’s home-bred six-year-old Gortfree Hero stallion qualified at Forth Mountain while his year younger stallion by the same sire, Gortfree Bounce, qualified at Tullylish. He, too, will ridden by Linda whose cousin Brian Murphy is producing the pair at Pat Loughlin’s Gowan Sport Horses yard.

Among those who booked their place for Dublin at the first qualifier in Scarteen was the home-based Anni Flagmount, a five-year-old by Welcome Emperor who was bred in Co Mayo by T.J. Gibbons out of the Grey Macha mare Cloonacastle Countess.

Jason Furlong was in the saddle that day in early June and when the grey displayed his current wellbeing by winning a well-filled novice working hunter class at Tattersalls July Show. Anni Flagmount is owned by the Scarteen Foxhounds’ joint-Master and huntsman Chris Ryan whose voice will be heard as commentator for the young and small event horse classes and for the breeding demonstration on Wednesday.

Craughwell owner Tom McNamara and his rider daughter Maria have entered their Tullylish-qualified Cappa Winning Streak in the four and five-year-old performance Draught class and also have the five-year-old by Cappa Sky Boy in the ladies’ side saddle class.

All riders mentioned so far are professionally involved with horses but one of the best stories of the qualifiers concerned Jane Richardson who secured a ticket with Bright Like A Diamond at Tullylish. Richardson was then still employed by the HSE but, after 40 years with the organisation, retired last month while in the position as radiography services manager. She finished sixth in the sportsman’s lightweight class in 2017.

The performance Irish Draught classes will be judged by Oliver Hood and Nigel Peel who will begin their day at 8.30am in Ring Two where the 16-fence track will be designed by Dereck Hamilton.