THE Ricardo Z gelding Double Take regained the title of Northern Ireland Festival working hunter supreme champion at Cavan on Sunday night. Ridden, as usual, by Lesley Webb for Yvonne Pearson, the bay previously won the championship, and with it the £1,000 prize, in 2013.

The now 12-year-old, who was supreme ridden hunter champion at Dublin in 2007, warmed up for his assault on Cavan by competing in the EI100 class at Tyrella (4) the previous Saturday. There, he finished the day on his dressage score but, disappointingly, failed to get into the placings having won and finished third in his two previous outings.

As with all others in the Festival working hunter finals, Double Take got to Cavan through a pre-qualifying system which began last year and only concluded earlier last month. Pearson’s much-loved gelding qualified in the 80cms section and, at home jumping on grass unlike some others, he duly won that final which took place on Saturday.

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The following evening, the Comber pairing added to their extensive collection of rosettes and sashes with a second supreme championship as Webb, making the most of the arena as is her trademark style, guided Double Take to victory. The bay was bred in Cappoquin by James Cliffe out of Finnisk Forever.

Second to Webb on Friday evening with Good To Go, Vicky Teuton also finished behind her in the supreme, taking the reserve title with the small hunter section winner Gleneven Starina. An Irish Draught mare by Supreme Ginger, this eight-year-old was bred in Co Monaghan by Heinz Lorenz out of the Sea Crest mare Gleneven Gold.

The ever-consistent 13-year-old Criccieth Chip gelding Kenilwood Monarch was first reserve.

The grey won the 122cms final under Jodie Creighton but, as the Connell Hill stable jockey had also qualified for Sunday evening with the Connemara Derrygimbla Atlantic Storm, winner of the supreme in 2010, the ride on the Lesley Massey-bred Kenilwood Monarch in the final class of the 2015 Northern Ireland Festival went to Chloe Connon.