KILLINCHY’s Emily McGowan added to her previous victories in the Berney Bros Saddlery five-to-seven-year-old Connemara performance hunter championship at the Dublin Horse Show when winning last Wednesday’s renewal on Tullaree Fear Buí.

Successful in 2015 on Benny Liath and the following year with Rathbane Legend, McGowan was only third (60.5 out of 80 points) in the flatwork phase on her six-year-old Templebready Fear Bui gelding. However, the grey was one of seven who jumped clear (160 points) and with 24.5 points for rhythm, technique, etc (out of 30) and 26 (out of 30) for conformation, he completed on a winning total of 271.

Tullaree Fear Buí, who was bred in Co Kerry by Clive Swindell out of the Dunlewey Rigmarole mare Tullaree Silver and goes by the stable name Patrick, was champion Connemara at the Northern Ireland Festival and Connemara working hunter champion at Balmoral. At the Tattersalls July Show, he was champion working hunter, beating all the horse class winners.

“I thought that was the best course yet,” answered McGowan when asked about the Dereck Hamilton-designed track which saw the famous Owl being bought back into play. “It asked plenty of questions, was forward-going and it was great tackling the bank twice. We’re heading to Clifden next and then on to Moreton-In-Marsh.”

It’s not easy for McGowan to take off on trips these days as not only has she another year to do at Harper Adams College, where she is studying Agri Food Marketing with Business, but, about six weeks ago, she was instrumental in getting the family’s Millbank Farm Shop off the ground in Saintfield. She has plenty of support with her father Adrian being the chief vegetable supplier while her sister, Susie, a graphic designer based in London, did all the branding.

Younger sister Victoria helps with the horses at home, as does McGowan’s mother Pat, while Lesley Webb comes in once a week either to ride or to coach.

Co Carlow Connemara producer and rider Gloria Nolan was delighted with her reserve position on her home-bred Gloria’s Prince Charming who jumped a clear round and topped the scores in the flatwork (62) and rhythm phases (26.5) on his way to a total of 268.5. The seven-year-old Shannon Prince bay, who is out of the Crusader Of Kippure mare Donode Daphne, qualified early at Scarteen as did Tullaree Fear Buí.

Britain’s Clare Dew judged the flat and jumping phases in both classes being joined for conformation judging in the first by Matt Ryan and, in the second, by Kai-Steffen Meier.

In that eight to 15-year-old championship, last year’s winning rider, Alicia Devlin Byrne, struck again – this time on Aidan Jones’s stallion Brock Blizzard, one of three ponies who jumped a clear round. This combination was another who qualified at Scarteen.

The eight-year-old roan, who had the fourth best flatwork mark (66.5) behind the Pauline Dahill-ridden Lucky Rebel (71.5), received Dew’s top marks for rhythm and style, etc (25.5) while Meier also gave the son of Ashfield Romeo his top score for conformation (27). Devlin Byrne’s mount completed on a total of 279 as Diarmuid Ryan partnered Johanna Brown and Tara Wakeham’s D’Arcy Roxy Girl, who qualified at Forth Mountain, into the reserve slot (268.5).

Brock Blizzard was bred in Co Wicklow by Edward Kearns out of the Tasty Pride mare, Holly Blue.