GALWAY Equestrian Centre hosted the final qualifier for the four, five, six, seven and eight-year-old classes at the Dublin Horse Show. Under blazing sunshine a huge number of competitors travelled west for the last chance to secure a place.

The four-year-old class saw 40 of the 96 entries progress to be judged by Jörn Kusel, a representative of the Hanoverian Society, and Marcel Beukers, the Dutch KWPN representative.

JDP Dougland emerged as the clear winner when awarded a score of 86 marks after an impressive round under Shane Goggins. Owned and bred by Joe Prendergast, the Ard VDL Douglas-sired gelding is out of the dam Dourwies (Corland x Indoctro).

Only 0.75 of a mark separated the next two in the line-up. Jessica Burke took the runner-up position with her own home-bred CHF Super Classe. By Classe VDL, the mare is out of a Ramiro B dam and received a score of 80. Taking third place on 79.25 was John Mulligan and Seamus Tighe’s Lough Scur Quality Lady (O.B.O.S Quality x Shannondale St. Ghyvan Z).

The five-year-old class has proven one of the most difficult in which to secure qualification but for the first time a triple clear did guarantee qualification. Some 13 combinations made it through to the final jump-off with eight recording faultless rounds.

The fastest of these to claim victory was Nicholas Butler with Ladycastle Paco, completing in a time of 41.23 seconds. Sired by Pacino, the gelding is out of the Nabab de Reve-sired Vimminka.

Ladycastle Paco is an embryo transfer from Vimminka, who Butler is currently competing on the national 1.50m circuit with great success. The overall runner-up in the 2017 New Heights Champions Series, Vimminka has most recently finished third in the leg of the NHCS at Ballinsloe.

Michael Pender added yet another mount to his Dublin string when a time of 41.60 guaranteed second place with Chichi Van Overis Z (Clintissimo x Amadeus Z). Just off this pace was Catherine Thornton, recording 41.80 with the Cardento-sired ABC Caruso. Thornton had a successful day, also qualifying the Pacino-sired HSC Sunny Jim.

The six-year-old class once again concluded over two rounds. Seventeen of the 54 starters made it through to the second round but only eight of these managed to keep a clean sheet on their second time out with one four-faulter also booking their ticket to Dublin.

The double clears and qualified were Olivia Roulston (Avalent), who took the win; Sophie Richards with MHS Fernhill and Be The One, Olive Clarke (Carrowgar Je T’Aime), Sonja Ochadlik (Over Lux), Katie McDonnell (Glendine Domino), Jack O’Donohue (Clair Du Lune) and Francis Connors (Lux Like Cruise). The fastest four-faulter was Kevin Gallaher with HHS Fast Forward.

The older horses proved to have the advantage on this occasion in the seven and eight-year-old class. While both age groups were more or less evenly represented in the starting 59, only three from the seven-year-old section came forward to the nine-strong jump-off.

Raphael Lee came out in front of the pack when setting the time to beat at 41.25 with Captain Marko. By Captain Clover out of a Kannan-sired dam, the eight-year-old gelding has shown good form of late winning the Connaught region Grand Prix at Corrandulla show on Sunday, as well as taking a top-six finish in the leg of the National Grand Prix at Galway County Show.

Jack Brennan made a solid effort at the time, logging 41.71 to secure second place with MHS Jersey Girl. The highest placed seven-year-old in the line-up, the Cardento-sired gelding already has some impressive results on his resume as the runner-up in the 2017 Irish Breeders Classic.