“TO breed a champion is something special.” The trio of Adrian, Shirley and Adrianna that make up the Hurst Show Team have won many a champion’s sash over the years, but the supreme hunter title was one that always got away. Until last weekend that is, when their home-bred lightweight mare Tattygare Me Me Me recorded a clean sweep in the Main Arena.

Standing reserve supreme was the four-year-old middleweight Solsboro Zeus, a multiple winner this summer for Nicola Perrin.

In what is believed to be unprecedented in the show’s history, Tattygare Me Me Me first landed the mares’ title, before taking the lightweights, the four-year-olds, and finally the supreme hunter championship under Jamie Smyth for her ecstatic owners and breeders.

She was the first mare to win supreme since Rosemary Connors’ Woodfield Valier in 2010 and just 24 hours earlier had stood reserve supreme home-bred in the Pembroke Cup.

Winners of multiple in-hand titles with horses such as Tattygare Good To Go and Tattygare Golden Moments, the Hursts from Co Fermanagh are one of the most successful showing families north and south of the border.

“We’ve had lots of wins in-hand – including several Breeders’ titles. We have been knocking at the door a few times with various horses, which have been ridden by Jamie, so we are delighted to finally get this one,” an emotional Shirley Hurst said afterwards.

“Jamie only took the ride on her two weeks before the show, although I had promised him months ago! Lisa Dougan and Catherine Thornton had done some schooling with her. She won the HSI loose jumping competition in November, and I had taken her to a few small shows myself when I got back from wintering in Florida, but she hadn’t done too much before Dublin. We don’t believe in ‘over-showing’ our young horses.”

Adrian and Shirley Hurst, and their daughter Adrianna, with their supreme hunter champion Tattygare Me Me Me, ridden by Jamie Smyth at the 2024 Dublin Horse Show \ Siobhan English Photography

A daughter of the Anglo European sire Arkan (by Arko III), Tattygare Me Me Me is from a tremendous family of show horses and was in the ribbons herself as a two-year-old, when reserve champion filly at Dublin. The Hursts returned to the RDS with her last year, and, while things did not go to plan, they always knew they had something special.

“We didn’t show her as a foal or yearling, but she’s from a really good family. Her dam LCC Yoko (Iroko) has bred four siblings, which are eventing. In fact, there are eight full-siblings and we still have two of those at home. A seven-year-old full-brother, Leemore After Hours, is eventing in the UK with Tom Jackson and only recently did his first three-star, where he was second from 91 starters.”

While the mare has an exemplary pedigree for performance – her dam is from the same family as Robert Splaine’s former Grade A horse Big Ed – they are undecided as to her future. “We’ll pause on that one,” Shirley said.

Mares

Judging in the Main Arena got underway promptly at 8am, with the mares before ride judges Ian Stark, Wayne Thorneycroft and Kirsty Aird and conformation judges Penny Hollings, Charles Upham and David Machin.

Also in the mix was the lightweight four-year-old, Robert Jeffares’ Ballarin Boudica (Nicola Perrin), along with Mairead and Claire Dolan’s lightweight seven-year-old Belperhill Ain’t She Sweet (Mairead Dolan) and Dee Kinsella’s 10-year-old lightweight Fayte, who went on to stand reserve mare champion (behind Tattygare Me Me Me) under Waterford producer, Shane McKenna.

Shane McKenna and Fayte won Class 5 Lightweight Hunter five to eight-year-old mare at Dublin Horse Show \ 1st Class Images

By the KWPN sire Tolan R, Fayte had been in the ribbons all season (including at Hickstead) and this was another string to her bow. She will now be aimed for dressage with her owner and will probably be put in foal next year.

Heavyweights

Kilkenny-based Brian Murphy is no stranger to the Main Arena, having won the supreme accolade in 2016 with the heavyweight Irish Draught Fort Knocks. The Kilkenny-based producer has been on the hunt for another title ever since and came close with his 2024 heavyweight winner, Foxrock.

Floating: Brian Murphy flies by on the pure-bred Irish Draught Fort Knocks, the 2016 supreme hunter champion at Dublin \ Susan Finnerty

In a revised format for all three weight deciders, the judges did not ride them again, having done so in their class judging. It was a decision that received mixed opinions. Instead, they were ridden on both reins by their regular riders and stripped for the conformation judges.

“I never remember having to ride on both reins before,” commented Murphy. “Personally, I think the judges should have ridden them again. It was a new class, really, and a horse can do two things in the Main Arena, either go well, or not. One of the judges, Kirsty Aird, wanted to ride my horse again in the heavyweight judging and wasn’t allowed.”

Also in for the heavyweights was Amelia and Paul Rossiter’s Clogheen Seamus (see page 103), Annie Prendergast’s own Rowels Buddy and Aidan Ryan’s West Coast Cavalier seven-year-old, West Coast.

Although only a four-year-old, Foxrock is quite imposing and was the ultimate choice for the judges to take the title, ahead of Prendergast on her six-year-old grey by Farmhill Highlander.

Twelve months ago, Foxrock was standing in a field. “I met his breeder Bryan (Maguire) here last year and he told me he had a nice horse, but was lightly handled. I went and looked at him and loved him. I bought him for one of my loyal owners, Amanda Benson,” Murphy added.

Foxrock (who was named in keeping with Murphy’s interest in hunting) is by the KWPN sire J. Reach for the Stars, who stood for a while at Tullabeg Stud, and later at Drumhowan. The dam, PowerPoint, by the thoroughbred Superior Premium, is from a superb family. She is a half-sister to William Fox-Pitt’s 2014 Lexington winner Bay My Hero (Cult Hero) and a full-sister to the up-and-coming three-star performer Power Supreme, competing with German rider, Lena Reinstorf.

“We backed him over Christmas and he only did a few shows before Dublin, winning at Ballivor, Killusty and Clonmel. We will keep him for next year – he will be an even nicer horse then,” Murphy added.

Prendergast was thrilled to be called forward for the reserve sash with Rowels Buddy, who had not been out of the top two all season. “He competed in middleweights last year and we moved him up the weights this year and he has been in the ribbons on almost every outing,” commented the Cork-based rider, who also competes a few horses in show jumping at 1.35m Grand Prix level.

Middleweights

Six horses came forward for the middleweight judging and, from the outset, Nicola Perrin’s Solsboro Zeus was the pick of the sextet. Perrin, too, agreed that there were mixed opinions on the judges not riding them again in Main Arena, but she believed it was better for the four-year-olds. “It was definitely a kinder experience for them not to be galloped.”

Nicola Perrin on her own Solsboro Zeus, middleweight champion and reserve supreme champion at the 2024 Dublin Horse Show \ Siobhan English Photography

A stunning son of Dignified Van’t Zorgvliet out of the Cavalier Royale mare Cavalier Cushingstown Cruis, Solsboro Zeus was bred in Wexford by Simon McCarthy. “I saw him when I went to see another horse in the yard of Donnacha Dermody last autumn,” Perrin commented. “He had been entered for Goresbridge on behalf of his owner Marie Ennett, but he didn’t go and we bought him out of the yard.

“He is beautiful, and his personality is even more beautiful. He measured 16.3hh when we bought him and he is now 17.2hh.”

Supreme hunter at Tattersalls, Perrin also rode him to win the Hunter Champion of Champions at Barnadown in July.

Standing reserve in the middleweights was Gillian Torrens’ Golden Master gelding, About A Master. Ridden by Rachel Moore, the five-year-old had a good preparation for Dublin, winning championships at both Greenacres and Mullingar, where he qualified for the Royal International.

Lightweights

Jamie Smyth had the pick of either Tattygare Me Me Me or Bannside Dancer for the lightweight judging and chose the latter, with Gwen Scott thrilled to get offered the temporary ride on the Hursts’ superstar just a short time earlier.

Eight horses had come forward, but it was a fantastic result for the good friends, as Scott secured the champion’s sash, later giving a hug to Smyth who stood reserve on Debbie Harrod’s six-year-old.

Bred by Jamie’s grandfather Samuel Smyth, Bannside Dancer was a winner earlier on this year at the Royal Highland Show in Scotland.

Next up were the four-year-olds and Smyth was back in the saddle on Tattygare Me Me Me, joined by Aubrey Chapman on the home-bred Thunder Storm, Amelia Rossiter on Clogheen Seamus, Brian Murphy with Foxrock, and Nicola Perrin on board Solsboro Zeus.

Perrin opted not to bring back her other four-year-old, Ballarin Boudica.

Having all been ridden by the judges again in the Main Arena, it came down to the wire, with referee judge Margaret Hopkins assisting in the final call, which went in favour of Tattygare Me Me Me, with Solsboro Zeus in reserve.

Minutes later, the chosen few returned. The grand final supreme judging is always a tense affair, and you could hear a pin drop as it again came down to the referee judge.

Having come close on so many occasions, Jamie Smyth was almost in disbelief when he was called forward to clinch the biggest pot in Irish show hunter circles.

“I have won many weight classes and have come close a few times in the Main Arena, but this is my first supreme win,” he said. “The mare was so easy and rode well for all the judges,” added the delighted producer, who runs a busy showing yard outside Belfast with his partner, Ryan Anderson.

“Finishing the show on Sunday after the Parade of Champions by being awarded the Leading Rider Award for the third year in a row was the icing on the cake.”