ENNISKERRY’s Alicia Devlin Byrne rounded off a superb week at the Clifden Connemara Pony Show by landing Friday’s high performance championship with her mother Claire’s Blackwood Fernando.

The Co Wicklow pairing won the first championship in 2011 and were second last year. The 17-year-old Ferdia gelding, who was bred near Tuam by Patrick McNamara out of a Mervyn Pookhaun mare, has a wonderful record at these showgrounds as he claimed the working hunter championship in 2011 and 2012 and has numerous flat wins to his credit here as well.

The grey’s CV also features four wins at the RDS (on the flat and over jumps) and three Balmoral championship victories. He has won the Cannon Ball Cup (Powers Quarry performance) four times, the performance class at Ballinalee on three occasions and, in 2010, won two working hunter classes at Warwickshire College receiving the trophy for the highest-marked pony of the day.

Both Blackwood Fernando and Susan Gageby Denham’s Bertraghboy Beau Geste, on whom Devlin Byrne won Wednesday’s green hunter class and Thursday’s side saddle class, have finished competing for the season. Their rider, who was 21 on Wednesday this week, is returning to UCD where she is studying botany and zoology.

There were no clear rounds in the high performance championship judged by Robin Avery and Mary Moore, while six ponies failed to complete phase 1.

This was disappointing, given that the 22 ponies forward came through a qualification system and most have also been competing in top working hunter classes throughout the country.

Blackwood Fernando, who was a very comfortable winner on 97 points, had one fence down as did the second-placed Shanbo Hazels Boy (84), a nine-year-old Monaghanstown Boy gelding ridden by Co Waterford’s Gillian Bond for her mother Margaret.

Second in the younger performance championship in Dublin, Tinahely’s Lucy Kelly finished third with her seven-year-old Coosheen Stormboy gelding Monivea Boy (84) who had two fences down. Runner-up in the older performance class at the RDS, Phyllis Jones’s 10-year-old Currachmore Cashel gelding Rocky Cashel (81), who lowered three fences, placed fourth under Antonia de Burgh.

The latter, who was third in his flat class here on Thursday, and Shanbo Hazels Boy received the top marks of 44 in phase two.

The highest-placed mare in fifth was Joan Dahill’s home-bred Glencairn Ivy (69) who had finished third in Dublin. Ridden for the Lismore exhibitor by her daughter Pauline, the five-year-old grey is by Andy’s Pride out of the Lehenagh Lad mare Murvey Bride.

The earlier Gain Horse Feeds working hunter championship was won by the four to six-year-old class winner, Ardfry Jade, partnered by Corofin’s Pataire Crawford for her mother Claire who bred the mare. The five-year-old by Patty’s Sweet Dream, who won and was second in her flat classes on Thursday, is the first foal out of Ardfy Ianna (by Glenvalley Grey).

Co Wicklow’s Lucinda Kelly took the reserve sash on her mother Avril’s homebred Dunran Katie Sue, winner of the class for riders over 16 in which they beat Devlin Byrne and Blackwood Fernando into second. The eight-year-old Monaghanstown Prince mare is out of Rathaldron Prudence (by Murphy Rebel).

Also going forward to the championship, which was judged by Mary Moore and Christopher Patrick, were Taylor and Rory Deane’s 12-year-old Billy stallion Rosscon Mr Whatson, winner of the class for riders under 16, and the stallion class winner, Plume de Kezeg, the 11-year-old Janus grey ridden by Pauline Dahill for Tom Murray.

The action concluded as usual with the Puissance where, in clearing the wall at 1.60m, last year’s winners, Christine Molloy and Doire Mhainaigh Earl, shared the honours with Justine O’Hara and Carnabay Mirah.