BLESSED with blue skies all day, summer came to Punchestown for at least one day, that being the day of the IDHBA’s 16th annual National Breed Show.

The show fulfilled the hopes of the show chairman Anthony Gillespie. It did exhibit the very best of the Irish Draught horse both in-hand and ridden, and this year it had the added spectacle of the Connemara Search for a Star in ring five.

The ever-popular foal classes had nearly equal numbers, but it was the fillies who reigned champions as both champion and reserve came from the filly foal class.

With six different mare classes, it was hard to choose the champion and reserve. Liam Lynskey’s DS Bounce With Me Baby, a nine-year-old by Moylough Bouncer out of Mount Diamond Princess took the champion’s sash ahead of Pat Hoare’s four-year-old Annamore Blue Dancer (Crosstown Dancer – Bannvalley Blueberry) in reserve.

The FBD Premier Mare and Foal Class saw P.J. and Majella Glynn picking up the top prize with Edenagor Rosie, an eight-year-old mare by Carrickrock Close Shave, with a filly foal at foot by Moylough Legacy. The TIH Mare Ballydurn Taylor won her class while her foal Brittas Monte Cristo lifted his, owned and exhibited by Danielle Cusackd.

Youngstock

The youngstock classes were dominated by fillies, with the champion coming from the two-year-old filly class; John and Lisa Baker’s Malahow Graces Legacy (Moylough Legacy - Inisfree Farmers Daughter), bred by Jenifer Banks. The winning three-year-old filly, Padraig Bohan’s Whitefield Gabby (Carrickcottage Star - Coilldaragh Miss Saigon), bred by Thomas Ormond, took reserve.

The Mare of the Future was sponsored by Horse Sport Ireland and Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine with a prize fund of €2,000, of which over 25% goes to breeders alone. The winner’s sash was worn by Patrick Hoare’s four-year-old Crosstown Dancer mare Annamoe Blue Dancer, bred by Paul Clarke. Stephen Branigan was delighted to hear of the win, saying he is always reminded of the great times he had with Crosstown when he hears a success story from his offspring.

Liam Lynskey was thrilled to lift the Susan Lannigan-O’Keeffe tray for DS Bounce With Me Baby, as Supreme In Hand Champion. Reserve Supreme was the youngstock champion Malahow Graces Legacy, owned by John and Lisa Baker.

Ridden champion

The ridden and worker rings were busy all day, with horses and riders multi-tasking between flat ridden and jumping. Both sets of judges seemed to be on the same wavelength as Champion and Reserve ridden, Champion and Reserve workers along with Supreme and Reserve Supreme ridden were the same. The Supreme ridden was Amanda Benson’s Flurry Knox, ridden by Brian Murphy ahead of Liam Lynskey’s DS Ballagh Bouncer, ridden by Hannah Gordan.