TIPPERARY’s Katie Wyse secured two tickets for the Dublin Horse Show Connemara classes during last Saturday’s penultimate qualifier at Forth Mountain Stud.

Both were booked on Claire Bannon’s Clareville Codiac, with whom Wyse landed the Clifden high performance qualifier at Balmoral Show last month. She and the eight-year-old Caherlistrane Bay gelding won Section A of the performance hunter qualifier for eight to 15-year-old ponies on 234 points and were second in the older ‘flat’ class to the William MacMahon-ridden Glencarrig Princess Ella.

Clareville Codiac (pictured on page 82), with whom Wyse has also qualified for the working hunter pony section at Dublin, was bred in Co Galway by John Tierney out of Tegan (by Slisneoir). Co Wicklow’s Linda Murphy qualified in second in this 16-strong class on board Christine Ivanoff’s 12-year-old Robe Johnson gelding Cluainin Robb (232.5).

Paddy Murphy’s Doire Mhainaigh Robbie amassed an excellent score of 257.5 to win Section B in the hands of Linda Murphy, who competes at 1.20m level on the grey under Showjumping Ireland rules. Bred in Co Mayo by Michael O’Neill, the Cashelbay Cruise-sired Doire Mhainaigh Robbie is out of the Andy’s Pride mare Doire Mhanaigh Pride.

Also qualifying in second was the eight-year-old Rosscon Abbey Tom Boy mare Dunabbey (252.5), who was ridden by Romy Bolger for owner Rose Kavanagh. There were 14 starters in this section.

The two sections of the five to seven-year-old class attracted much larger entries, so kudos to Amy Grady, who saw off 27 rivals when narrowly winning, and qualifying, on John and Viola McGreal’s home-bred Glynsk Star (232) in Section A. This seven-year-old Lonsdale Legend gelding is out of the Earl Of Newbridge mare Linesker Silver Lady.

Amy Grady and Glynsk Star won the Connemara Performance Hunter (5-7 Years) RDS Qualifier at Forth Mountain \ Louise O'Brien Photography

Two combinations completed on 231.5 points, one of whom claimed the second qualifying ticket and one who, disappointingly for her connections, did not. This is why: “In the event of an equality of points, placing will be determined by the highest total jumping score (160) followed by the highest rhythm and fluency score. If there is still a tie, the pony closest (under) to the optimum time will be awarded the highest placing.”

The qualifier in this instance, using the optimum time ruling, was the Graham Kenny-owned, Abigail Kenny-ridden Cupid’s Magic Shadow, a five-year-old Silver Shadow gelding bred in Co Mayo by Noel Shally out of Meadowhill Magic Melody (by Drymills Bridgeboy). The unfortunate non-qualifier was Linda Mullane’s Knockfenora Cailin Alainn.

Section B

The scores were nearly, but not quite, as tight in Section B, where the first ticket was claimed by the already well-known six-year-old Garvagh Moonlight Boy (248), who is ridden by Co Meath’s Phoebe Horgan for her mother Hannah. This combination also qualified for Dublin last year. Bred in Co Carlow by Mary Tynan, the winning Monaghanstown Boy gelding is out of Garvagh Silver Moonlight (by Moonlight Silver Shadow).

Tara Musgrave’s Kinamara Lady Destiny (247) qualified in second under Caoimhe Eivers, who has given the five-year-old Fear Beag Bui mare three runs in Eventing Ireland company this season.