JAMIE Smyth was disappointed that Polly Coles’ Endeavour R failed to retain his title as Creightons supreme champion hunter at last week’s Balmoral Show, but philosophically commented: “Any show where you have the results we’ve had, is a good show.”

Endeavour R only stumbled at the final hurdle, as the eight-year-old bay Irish Sport Horse gelding by Cavalier Royale, who was bred in Co Wexford by Simon McCarthy out of Cushinstown Diamond (by Diamond Rock), won his older heavyweight class and the heavyweight championship before finishing reserve supreme to the lightweight champion, Amanda Benson’s Madra Rua. The latter also finished ahead of the Smyth-ridden Bannside Dancer in the lightweight championship.

Taking the Nutts Corner yard’s results chronologically, the Polly Coles-owned and ridden Bloomfield Valhalla, a 12-year-old ISH gelding by Lux Z, finished second in his middleweight class to the weight champion, Masterplan, while the same owner’s ISH gelding Highview Tallorder, a chesnut seven-year-old by Sligo Candy Boy, finished second under Smyth in the older small hunter class to the Jodie Moran-owned and ridden Tiger Eye.

On Thursday, Smyth doubled up for Coles in the Event Technical Services riding horse section, where he won the ‘small’ class on her Anglo European Studbook-registered Lulu de Beau, an eight-year-old daughter of Don Aqui, and the ‘large’ class on her ISH gelding King Of Clubs. That seven-year-old Riverland Roi gelding, who was bred in Co Louth by Raymond Gogan, was then crowned champion, ahead of the OBOS Quality 004 gelding Redmays Romeo, an ISH five-year-old ridden for Team Torrens by Rachel Moore.

Earlier that day, Coles partnered the above-mentioned Bloomfield Valhalla to win his division of the six-year-old and upwards North Down Marquees ladies’ hunters astride class, where his stable-companion, Ryan Anderson’s Austenaco, a 2018 ISH gelding by Orestus, finished second under Emma Green. In the championship, Coles had to settle for reserve on Bloomfield Valhalla behind the four- and five-year-old class winner, Ballarin Boudica.

This 2020 bay mare by Offaly Clover, who was ridden by Nicola Perrin for partner Rob Jeffares, was bred in Co Offaly by John Galvin. In her class, the bay stood ahead of Coles’ ISH gelding Highview Overado, a five-year-old Cavalier Land grey, who was ridden by Gwen Scott.

And, just in case all that wasn’t enough, on Friday, Smyth partnered Coles’ black gelding Highview Quickstep to win the heavyweight cob class and finish reserve to the lightweight winner, Camilla Bowlby’s four-year-old grey gelding Draughtons Grand Design, who was ridden by Rachel Moore. Making sure few others got a look-in, Brian Murphy won the maxi class on Pat O’Loughlin’s multi champion, GHH Peaky Blinder, a 12-year-old Irish Draught gelding by Rockrimmon Silver Diamond.