THE fact that judges differ was well-demonstrated on Sunday at Tattersalls July Show where Daphne Tierney’s Bloomfield Waterfall finished second in the morning’s middleweight hunter class to the section champion, Dartans Block Buster, but turned the tables on that OBOS Quality 004 gelding in the afternoon’s Connolly’s Red Mills supreme champion of champions ridden hunter series final.

A good-sized crowd gathered at Ring One to watch the inaugural running of the Red Mills championship and they were rewarded with the spectacle of some of the country’s top showing riders mounted on the best of the current crop of show hunters who ranged in age from four to 15 and through the three weight divisions. Horses, and riders, were extremely well turned out which all added to the sense of occasion.

On Saturday night, Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony had met with fellow show committee member Kieran Ryan and Showing Ireland chairman Angus McDonnell to finalise the format for the final judging. Following the go around, this saw the four-year-olds called in en bloc to be ridden first by Michelle Underwood while the five-year-olds and upwards were stripped and judged for conformation by Bridget Millington.

While the five-year-olds were being ridden, spectators began to speculate who the champion might be with many favouring the Jane Bradbury-partnered Bloomfield Waterfall. Had there been betting on the outcome, the bookmakers’ would have been on the losing end of transactions as Tierney’s five-year-old Watermill Swatch gelding took the title and, with it, the first prize of €1,000.

Called in as reserve, and leading four-year-old, was MHS Charlie Fox. The chesnut by Quidam Junior I was ridden by Aubrey Chapman for Co Kilkenny’s Tom Brennan who bred the gelding out of MHS Cavaliers Daughter (by Cavalier Royale). MHS Charlie Fox was champion four-year-old at Balmoral and overall champion at Adamstown where he qualified for Tattersalls.

NEW HOME

Bloomfield Waterfall, who was bred in Co Cork by Pat and Miriam O’Sullivan out of their Irish Draught mare Bannvalley Stargazer (by Annaghdown Star), has already been sold to leading British owner Jill Day but will remain in Tierney’s name until after Dublin. Already this year, the grey was champion at Balmoral and Bannow and Rathangan.

“I was disappointed that we were only second in the morning, but that’s showing,” said Bradbury. “I thought the Red Mills final gave people the chance to see our top horses together and the turn-out of horses and riders was very high. It was a lovely feeling to win and it was great to see that everyone was rewarded for making the effort to come.”

Jane Davis, equine brand manager at Connolly’s Red Mills, commented: “This is a really exciting initiative and it has been fantastic to see the support the Red Mills Champion of Champions has received.

“There is huge skill and horsemanship involved in producing a show horse and good ring craft is a real art and this was showcased perfectly in the final which produced a stunning line-up of horses. Hopefully it will encourage more people to participate next year.

Asked for her view on the final, ride judge Michelle Underwood answered: “We have these championships in England and they are very popular. I was particularly taken by the young horses, they gave me nice rides and are nice prospects for the future.”

The start of the class was delayed as Underwood’s fellow judge was the only one assigned to the preceding Mahony family ladies’ side saddle class where, because of late entries, the numbers forward were twice that in the programme.

The winner of the Fania Mahony memorial cup was Antonia de Burgh’s lovely Gypsy Cobra Cruis, a nine-year-old chesnut gelding by Cobra out of Joseph Allen’s Cruising mare Gypsy Cruis.