A SLIGHT change to the four-year-old class at this year’s Dublin Horse Show sees just 24 combinations battle it out in the Simmonscourt arena, down from last year’s 28.
The Mo Chroi four-year-old final on Saturday always attracts a big crowd and this year’s qualifying judges – Jorn Kusel, a representative of the Hanoverian Society, Marcel Beukers from the Dutch KWPN and Thomas Schonig - selected horses with quality and proven performance bloodlines.
The former Neal Fearon-ridden stallion Classe VDL has two progeny forward, as does the Kennedy brothers’ OBOS Quality 004. Classe VDL’s first horse is the Meadows EC winner Ramiro Be Classe, owned and ridden by Athlone agent Jim Derwin. Bred in Co Tyrone by Michal Burke, Ramiro B is the dam sire.
Jessica Burke is back to defend the title she won in 2017 with Lux a Special Lady, and this time rides her own home-bred CHS Super Classe, out of Super Spring, who is also by Ramiro B.
Catherine Thornton won the opening qualifier in Maryville with her own and David Campbell’s Coachella, who is by Ustinov and out of the Cruising-sired mare Icing, who is also the dam of Thornton’s former 1.50m ride Derryinver Luxury Cruise.
That stallion won the 2009 four-year-old final in Dublin for Thornton.
Catherine Thornton and Coachella on their way to winning the four-year-old qualifier at Maryville. Photo Rolf Stenberg/ jumpinaction.net
She also rides the well-bred Darco Q (Amaretto Darco x OBOS Quality), whose dam, Jump the Q, sired the winner of last year’s Cavan International four-year-old winner Cooley Jump the Q (Katie O’Sullivan).
Vincent Byrne and Olive Clarke are the only other riders to have filled their quotas. Byrne rides Pearl Roche Fanning’s Olanthe V/D Leeuwerkheide (by Balou du Rouet), and Tim Brennan’s exciting GCS Ita (by OBOS Quality), who is out of the Sergio Alvarez Moya-partnered MHS Attraction.
Galway-based Olive Clarke has a full truckload of five heading to the RDS and in the four-year-old division will be represented by her own home-bred FSS Outlaw (Cardento x Orlando Van De Heffinck) and Leonard Purcell’s Zirocco Blue VDL-sired Inisfear.
Damien Griffin caught the eye of the judges at the third qualifier in Barnadown with Andrea Etter and Luc Henry’s Ganesh Hero Z.
The impressive stallion is by Gemini CL xx, the clone of Gem Twist, winner of two Olympic medals at the 1988 Olympic Games.
Winner of the final qualifier in Galway, where the biggest startlist of 96 four-year-olds lined out, was Shane Goggins with Joe Prendergast’s JDP Dougland (Ard VDL Douglas x Corland.)
THE five-year-old division is always difficult to qualify for and this season was no different, with treble clear rounds not guaranteeing a place in three of the four qualifiers.
It is the first year in some time that Ballypatrick Stables aren’t represented in the four-year-old class, but they are making up for those numbers in this division where four stablemates will line out. Darragh Ryan will be aiming to defend the title he won in 2017 with BP First Editions.
Ryan rides two horses bred in Co Galway by Brian and Shane Connolly. He qualified Molly Tracy’s Sir Shutterfly-sired CSF Sir George in Barnadown when finishing sixth. The well-bred gelding, who was purchased for €42,000 at the Supreme Sale of Showjumpers in 2016, is out of Norrira (Cavalier Royale), the dam of the 2013 four-year-old winner CSF Mr Kroon (Ger O’Neill).
Ryan’s second mount is Ger O’Neill’s CSF Mia (Je T’Aime Flamenco x Quickstar). Making it an impressive four horses bred by the Connolly’s, Susan Fitzpatrick takes CSF Foxy Lady (KEC Maximum Joe x Argentinus) and John Mulligan rides CSF James Kann Cruz (Kannan x Cruising).
Ballypatrick’s second rider Kellie Allen has qualified Noel Cawley’s Jacarina (Cruising x Diamond Lad) and GBBS Int Ltd’s Merlins Victoire (Je T’Aime Flamenco x Cavalier Royale).
Marion Hughes and Miguel Bravo’s yard is also very well represented with riders Mikey Pender, Kevin Gallagher and Dominic Curley all winning a qualifier each. Pender takes his Maryville winner MHS New York (Quidam Junior I x Cavalier Royale) and his own Chichi Van Overis Z.
Jessica Burke is back with Dessie Judge’s Lux a Special Lady, her 2017 four-year-old champion, and is always a rider to watch against the clock.
Another to keep an eye on is Nicholas Butler, winner of the final qualifier in Galway with the well-bred Ladycastle Paco, who is out of his Grand Prix-winning mare Vimminka and by Pacino.
Seven of the 2017 five-year-old finalists come forward for the Horse Sport Ireland Cruising six-year-old class this season. While the winner is absent, second last year was Sorcha Hennessy’s Dothraki Warlord (Murmus R x Diamant de Semilly) and he again returns under Derek McConnell, who will also ride his own DBS Looks Royale (by Lux Z).
Vincent Byrne also returns with the Luidam-sired Pearls Princess Gervantus, who placed fourth in 2017, as does Kenneth Graham with Aiden McGrory’s Pacino Amiro (Pacino x NC Amiro), Sophie Richards with Maurice Cousins’ Moonahaw DVZ Diamond (Dignified van’t Zorgvliet) and Gabriel Tunny aboard Candy Man (Sligo Candy Boy x Lux Z).
Leona Walsh’s Lux Like Cruise was placed as a five-year-old under Jessica Burke and returns to Ballsbridge with Francis Connors after securing a place at the final qualifier in Galway. The six-year-old division was decided in the second round on all four occasions this year.
Liam O’Meara will be hoping to repeat his winning performance from Maryville aboard Helen O’Regan’s Solsboro Masterpiece (Ars Vivendi x Lux Z). Another by Ars Vivendi is the well-related Krafty Kitty, ridden by Tholm Keane, who has filled his quota in this division.
Bred by his father Stephen and owned by Ronan Tynan, the mare is a daughter of the Diamond Serpent-sired Krafty Kate and a full-sister to the 1.50m winner Rocksy Music, ridden in America by Richie Moloney.
Lisa Rosbotham’s good performance stallion Valent sires two six-year-olds – Avalent and Miss Valent, both ridden by Olivia Roulston for the Rosbotham family.
The number of national riders to qualify for the prestigious Connolly’s Red Mills seven and eight-year-old international classes this year was increased from five to seven at each qualifier, allowing a total of 28 horses join a host of foreign riders at the Ballsbridge showcase.
Again, demonstrating the successful production system in Ireland, quite a few of the top six-year-olds who competed in the main arena last year have again progressed to the higher ranks.
One of those is Marion Hughes’ seven-year-old HHS Calais (Cavalier Royale x OBOS Quality), placed in 2017 under Jack O’Donohue before Mikey Pender took over the reins. With Pender on board, they won the first qualifier in Co Cork. He also took the runner-up place that day aboard his own seven-year-old Mages Lane Karol (OBOS Quality x Master Imp) to again fill his quota.
Mikey Pender won the seven/eight-year-old qualifier in Maryville aboard HHS Calais. Photo Rolf Stenberg/ jumpinaction.net
The Bravo/Hughes yard is also represented by Kevin Gallagher with HHS Toronto (Cavalier Royale x Don Juan de la Bouverie) and Marion with HHS Fortune (Catoki x Ard VDL Douglas), who both booked their ticket when second and third, respectively, in Barnadown.
The winner on that occasion was Darragh Ryan with Lisa Cawley’s well-related home-bred Flexability. By Flexible, the seven-year-old gelding is out of Noel Cawley’s good broodmare Diamond Ballerina, dam of Grand Prix-winning mares Rincarina (former six-year-old RDS winner) and Solerina, who is now part of the breeding programme at Spy Coast Farm in Kentucky.
Ryan also takes last year’s fourth placed Lackamore Storm (Kroongraff x Indoctro) through after qualifying first time out. Greg Broderick brings the Ballypatrick representation to three with another of Noel Cawley’s Flexible home-breds, BP Hybernia. Out of Ballinakill Clover, this eight-year-old is a half-brother to the Nations Cup horse Cruise on Clover (Thomas Ryan).
Placed third in 2017 with Judas VD Donkhoeve, who has since been sold to Canadian rider Vanessa Mannix, Philip McGuane returns after qualifying on first attempt with Beat Mändli and Barry O’Connor’s Antigone Gravelotte.
Seven-year-old horses were very much in control at the qualifying rounds and James Hogg’s Intuitive is another who will grace the main arena this year, as well as Hannah Pateerson’s Volt Star. Aoife McCabe’s Pacino-sired gelding Paciro has impressed in the ISH Studbook series this season and also booked his ticket at The Meadows under Thomas O’Brien.
Susan Fitzpatrick has just returned from a solid performance at the Young Rider European Championships and will take on the challenge of the main arena with her mother Sharon’s eight-year-old Fellow Castlefield.
Other young riders hoping to impress in this international class are Galway winner Raphael Lee (Captain Marko), Kilkenny junior bronze European medallist Jack Ryan (Moneybroom Dancer and Essenar High Hopes), Jonathan Smyth (Mulvin Lui) and Tim MacDonagh (Hollypark Galloway).