IT was fifth time’s a charm for Offaly-based Swiss native Andrea Etter of Belmont House Stud, when she secured the three-year-old loose jumping championship in the filly section with Eurythmics B.
This striking bay filly is by Mr Quincy B (ISH by Aganix Du Seigneur Z) out of Cordoba 54 (by Cordobes (HOLST)) and bred by Etter’s company Etter Sportpferde Ag.
The winning score of 90 was tallied as follows: Conformation - 15, Canter - 24, Technique - 17, Scope - 18, Reflexes - 8, Attitude - 8.
“Mr Quincy B is a stallion we bred ourselves, who is jumping five-star currently and his grandmother, Wandonga, jumped 1.60m with my brother Daniel and with Cameron Hanley,” Etter explained.
“She was by Wandango, my father’s all-time favourite stallion. Eurythmics B’s dam is by Cordobes, who was in our yard at home in Switzerland for many years and was ridden by my nephew Jeremy, who owns Eurythmics B with me, and he was there in Dublin last week, so there were some very special family connections.”
Eurythmics B also won the loose jumping at the Mayo Roscommon Breeders’ Group show this year and her Dublin qualifier at Ross House.
“Dublin is always a highlight and we were second four times before this, so to win was so nice,” Etter said.
Etter also had a seventh place finish in the colt/gelding loose jumping class with Southerland B, a bay gelding by Stockholm Van’T Roosaker (ZANG) out of the O-Piloth (MECKL) dam Cera Cara B.
She also had a colt by Livello in the three-year-old potential eventer class. This horse’s dam is by Mr Lincoln B, full-brother to Mr Quincy B - the sire of Etter’s Dublin loose jumping winner.
As a result of the three performances of her home-breds, Etter was awarded the coveted Leading Breeder prize of the 2024 Dublin Horse Show, which she described as ‘extra special’.
Reserve champion in the filly class was Pat Magner’s Lisenagh Kaskara, a bay by Valent (KWPN) out of the Zavall Vdl (KWPN) dam Invincible Sinaa RS and bred by Elaine McCullough. They finished just one point behind Etter on 89 points.
Padraig Howley’s Castle Black Beauty, a black filly by Sligo Candy Boy (ISH) out of the Chipolini Vm Z (ZANG) dam Anna Lena S and bred by Noel Ruane was third, again just one point behind on a final tally of 88.
Colts/geldings
Laois-based German breeder and trainer Hans Kuehnle of Tullibards Sport Horses had an evening to remember on Thursday in the Simmonscourt Arena at the Dublin Horse Show, when his three-year-old colt Tullibards Lux Likea Benny, was crowned three-year-old loose performance champion in the colts’ and geldings’ division. The win saw Kuehnle take home the Michael Osborne Perpetual Cup, with the prize money sponsored by Horse Sport Ireland. This bay colt is by Tullibards Bennys Legacy (OLD) out of the Lux Z mare Lux Optimistic. The breakdown of their winning score is as follows: Conformation - 18, Canter - 24, Technique - 17, Scope - 18, Reflexes - 9, Attitude - 8, Final Score: 94.
Speaking to Susan Finnerty after the winning colt attained Stage 1 status at Cavan this year, Kuehnle said he was a very special horse.
“This exceptional horse reminds me of Benny’s Legacy. Everybody sees this horse, looks twice, three times and thinks, ‘Did you bring him back from America?’ I feel this horse has even more than his sire, jumping and pedigree-wise. He’s so trainable, he’s a dream horse.
“I got a few offers before, in and after Cavan, but I’ll really try to keep him and see how far he will go.”
Reserve champion on a total of 85 was Gabriel Slattery Jnr’s CSF Castlelawn Emerald. This striking black colt is by Emerald Van’T Ruytershof (BWP) out of the Voltaire mare CSF Twilight and was bred by Patrick Connolly.
Rounding out the top three in the colt section and just one mark behind CSF Castlelawn Emerald was Mark O’Connor’s Bobby Johnson, a grey gelding by SHS Soco Blue (HOLST), out of the Yeats (ISH) mare Chair Lux and bred by O’Connor himself.