Margie McLoone

THE Horse Sport Ireland small hunter class and championship took place in ring one at the AIRC Festival in Stradbally Hall on Saturday afternoon where they were judged by Anne Dangerfield and Caoimhe McParland.

In section one, there was disappointment for Greenhills’ Jill Casey as her Tigs N Jigs, who topped the original line-up, was dropped to fifth. Moving up a place to the vacated No 1 position was Cill Dara’s Fiona Doggett and her dun mare Grainne III, with Clonshire’s Gemma Hartigan rising up the ranks to place second on Holmedown Hannah.

“I’m delighted with that,” said Doggett, a yard foreman at the Irish National Stud. “She has now won here as a five, six and seven-year-old. We compete in Dressage Ireland competitions and working hunters and this year I hope to do both Riding Club and Eventing Ireland one-days with the mare.” Unfortunately, there is no recorded breeding for Grainne III.

In section two, there was a similar move down the line to fifth for the judges’ original choice, Maiden Hall Milo, ridden by Clonshire’s Virginie Bibes, and up a place to first for the Vincent Holian-partnered Irish Draught Madame Stella. The Irish Field’s Leanne O’Sullivan, who was to have an even better result on Sunday, moved up from seventh to second with Ballysax Alice, another Irish Draught.

In the small hunter championship, Madame Stella took the honours ahead of Grainne III and went on to claim the overall mares’ title where, in reserve, was Holian’s lightweight hunter, Moytura Miss Moneypenny. The latter, who was bred in Co Clare by Cyril Conway, is a brown five-year-old by Cougar out of the Able Albert mare Difficult Girl. In the championship she was partnered by Michael Keaveney.

Now a member of the Copperfield club, Holian has had a wonderful record with Rufina Shiel Mullen’s home-bred Madame Stella, a seven-year-old by Crannagh Hero out of the Drumhowan Gold mare Maybe Jaybe.

Last year they were winners of the sole small hunter class here before being second at the RDS in the older small hunter class, a position they filled in the younger division in 2014.

Ridden by the owner/breeder’s daughter Ciara Mullen, Madame Stella was runner-up in the intermediate show hunter class last August and next month Ciara will ride the mare in both sections at the Dublin Horse Show. Also last year, Madame Stella qualified for HOYS and the RIHS.