SOMERVILLE Lad, who was the four-year-old and supreme ridden hunter champion at Dublin last summer for owner Patrice Dorney and rider PJ Casey, made a winning debut on British soil and took his first tricolour for Robert Walker at North of England Spring Show last weekend.

The Emperor Augustus five-year-old, bred by John Simpson, first won his novice age class before going on to take the overall hunter championship. Owner Jill Day bought Somerville Lad just before Christmas.

“We admired him at Dublin and asked for first refusal to buy him and luckily we got the call. He came to us straight from grass, but there was already much to admire, and he just keeps improving,” Walker said, adding: “This debut went well and although he came off the lorry a bit fresh with the baltic wind, he soon settled down to his job.”

The Cheshire rider and producer dominated the novice and open hunter divisions and his winning six-year-old and over ride Free Spirit stood reserve novice to Somerville Lad.

This Spirit House six-year-old, bred by Richard Drohan in Waterford, was bought as a foal by Jill Day and because he had a big frame to grow into, this was his ring debut.

“He needed all the time to mature and as he is still filling out, this will just be an educational year for him,” added Walker.

Walker’s success carried on in the open ranks where his winning light and middleweight rides Viewpoint and Northern Pride took the championship and reserve accolades respectively.

After a stellar season last year which saw him start out by taking the supreme championship at Royal Windsor, Viewpoint went on the take the titles at the Royal International and Horse of the Year Shows (HOYS).

Bred by Clare’s Sean Jones, the eight-year-old Viewpoint is by Loughahoe Guy and he was clearly pleased to be back in the ring after his winter break.

After standing novice champion at the 2019 North of England Show, Northern Pride has stepped up to the open ranks and the Power Blade five-year-old, bred by John Donaghy, cruised across the huge grass ring.

“This horse is a proper middleweight and he has such a good brain,” concluded Walker.

In addition to riding the 2019 Dublin supreme ridden hunter to win on his British debut, a week earlier Walker also made a winning start with MHS Morning Master who claimed the champion three-year-old and Pembroke Cup for the best home-bred young horse for Brian Murphy and Sinead Brennan at Ballsbridge last August.

A 2019 purchase for Jill Day, the son Quidam Junior gained a late qualification to the Cuddy supreme in-hand championship at HOYS last October, where he won his horse section and stood overall reserve champion.

Backed over the winter, Morning Master made his ridden debut a winning one when standing top of a good novice class at the Sport Horse (GB) Spring Show at Myerscough. “He’s taken to the ridden job so well,” said Walker.