THE best-filled of the three ridden Connemara qualifiers for Balmoral Show (May 14th to 17th), which were held at the Fagan family’s Mullingar Equestrian Centre last Sunday, was that for riders aged between 10 and 16.

Among the four who secured tickets was Dahlia Durkan, a member of the Bray Branch of the Irish Pony Club, on board her father Liam’s Blakehill Bobby, who was recently repatriated from England. This 13-year-old Cian Geoghegan-bred gelding by Cnocbán Cassanova is out of the Rebel Star mare Blakehill Princess.

The other qualifiers were Lily Morgan on Mirah de Goariva, her father Philip’s nine-year-old bay gelding by Westside Mirah, Katie Murphy on her mother Margaret’s seven-year-old Menlough Owen gelding Crimlon Dylan and Aoibheann O’Shaughnessy with her mother Yvonne’s 13-year-old Burning Daylight mare Chapel Hill May. The last-named combination have just completed a full season’s hunting with the Galway Blazers.

There are few riders as busy when it comes to securing qualification spots as Co Mayo’s Hannah Gordon, who was on the mark for her father Matt on Sunday, when booking a ticket for the four and five-year-old final at Balmoral on Rock Of Belass. This 2021 gelded son of Black Shadow was bred by David Coleman out of the Glanquinn Larry mare Woodhaven Lily.

At Balmoral Park, Gordon will renew rivalry with Lucinda Kelly, who qualified with her own five-year-old Dunally Lad gelding Srarevagh Dunally, Abby Dowling who did so on Mary Butler’s four-year-old Manor Duke gelding Glenrevagh Ted and Zoe Price, who is heading for the decider with another four-year-old Black Shadow gelding, her own Carrickfad Michael Og.

Return visit

Dowling and Kelly both secured second tickets at Mullingar in the six-year-old and upwards class, the former doing so with Butler’s nine-year-old Laerkans Cascade Dawn gelding Manor Cascade, who finished fifth in the stallion class at Dublin last August. Kelly booked her place in the starting field on her mother Avril’s six-year-old Tempo Cashel mare Monaghanstown Rosie, who will be paying a return visit to Balmoral, where she finished fifth in her class last May.

Sarah Bradshaw booked her ticket on Michael Kirkpatrick’s nine-year-old Cashelbay Barney gelding Seabreeze Barney, but the rider most will fear is north Co Dublin’s Ciara Mullen, who will be on board the seven-year-old Glencarrig Joe gelding Loughderg Star, with whom she won the championship at Dublin last year for Co Antrim owner Zoe Price.

The final qualifier for the ridden and working hunter Connemara championships at Balmoral are taking place today at Killossery Lodge Stud.