THE Tattersalls Ireland July Show is run in association with Rolestown Show and the Ward Union Hunt, in aid of St Francis Hospice, Blanchardstown and Raheny.

In the showing section at the weekend, most of the funds raised came from the large entry in the working hunter classes, particularly those on Saturday, when the action continued late into the evening. There was much praise for the tracks produced by Eugene O’Neill and his team, which included the use of a bank along the side of the TopSpec-sponsored ring.

Co Kilkenny’s Louise Lyons once again dominated this section and she started her day on a winning note by partnering the home-bred mare Dartans Poetry to victory in the green hunter class. This four-year-old daughter of the Irish Sport Horse stallion Yeats is out of the Cavalier Royale mare, Red Light, who evented up to three-star level. Finishing second here was the 14-year-old Irish Draught mare Grey Dawn Rebel (by Creevagh Grey Rebel).

Jane Davis, Head of Equine Marketing at Connolly’s Red Mills, partnered her own French-bred gelding, Tiffany’s Gold, to victory in the Treo Eile thoroughbred class.

This six-year-old Bated Breath grey was most closely pursued by the Louise Duffy-ridden dual Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Al Boum Photo, who today is competing in the EI90 (Amateur) class at Ash Hollow. Camilla Kear’s four-year-old Castleforbes Lord Lancer gelding, All Lord Lance, saw off his seniors to land the Davies Group novice class.

Open success

The successful partnership of owner Yvonne Pearson and rider/producer Lesley Jones won the two very competitive open classes.

Their winner of the 1.05m division, which was sponsored by the Snailbox Restaurant, was the seven-year-old OBOS Quality 004 gelding, Quality Choice, who finished second of 21 in an EI100 class at Tullymurry (2) last month. Here, the blue ribbon went to Jenny Williams’ Irish Draught gelding Ballyrussell Misty, a six-year-old grey by Kiltyvane Naldo.

Pearson’s 10-year-old Loughehoe Guy gelding Cairnview Redwood Guy, who was to land the ladies’ side saddle class on Sunday under Jones, won the RIHS qualifier, ahead of Louise Lyons and her home-bred Dartans Red Mission, a six-year-old Orestus half-sister to the above-mentioned Dartans Poetry. This class was sponsored by Donnelly Providers, Ratoath.

When it came to the championship, judges Joanna Jones (ride) and Rosemary Morris (conformation) looked to the open classes, presenting the Tattersalls tricoloured sash to Lyons on Dartans Red Mission. The Pearson/Jones team had to settle for the reserve slot with Quality Choice, whose stable-companion Cairnview Redwood Guy was the winner of the Carr & Day & Martin turn-out award.

One working hunter class on Sunday to note was that for Irish Draughts, as both the winner, Hollypark Stables’ Hollypark Finn, a five-year-old Castlegar Cool Mist gelding, and Darren Jordan’s second-placed Seanchai, a four-year-old Gortfree Hero gelding, are set to face one another again in the young Irish Draught performance class on the opening day of the Dublin Horse Show.