MBF Celtic Claddagh is this year’s ‘Mo Chroí’ Four-Year-Old National Champion. Ridden by Meabh Bolger, the pair scored a massive 83.2 which proved best of the 24-strong starters to take the victory in the RDS main arena on Saturday evening.

“We bought him as a yearling from our neighbours Gerry and Joan Lenihan. From the first day he had a big walk, he was always a good model,” said Bolger, who was riding at Dublin for the very first time. “We broke him as a three-year-old, we did a small bit of riding with him and then started him again when he was four.

“He is very level-headed, not a whole lot fazes him; he only had three shows done going to Dublin. Even his first day away he took everything in his stride, he’s just one of those laid-back sorts.

“He is a blood horse to ride but he’s very trainable. He is mature in his brain, you feel like you are on a six-year-old, which makes him easy.

“Looking forward, everything we have is for sale, so if someone wants him he’ll go on to bigger and better things I’m sure. For the moment we’ll just keep producing him away; he’ll go jumping again as a five-year-old.

“I do more eventing really, and he has proved to be good cross-country so there are definitely a few different roads for him; he is a lovely blood horse in his mind so he could go the eventing road too,” Bolger added.

Breeder feat

Andrea Etter of Belmont House Stud is the proud breeder of MBF Celtic Claddagh and received the breeder’s prize. It was a great feat for the Swiss native who bred his sire Celtic Hero B Z, his dam Janis B (Radolin) and his grandmother Macy B (Wandango). Belmont House Stud also stood the gelding’s father, his grandfather and his great grandfather at stud.

The judges for the competition were Andrew Saywell and Adrian Marsh. Saywell has represented Britain at international level and has competed at the highest levels in Nations Cups on several occasions. He runs a yard in Newark.

Marsh is a show jumping producer, breeder and UKCC Level 3 accredited Coach. He has ridden and produced top horses including Angelzarke, Western Point and Defipaintere.

After retiring from competition, Adrian focused on breeding and producing with some of them going on to compete at World and European Championship level. He runs Heathcroft Stud in Warrington and has been training competition horses and riders alike for the past 30 years.

Each of the competitors were scored out of 100 on jumping technique, natural ability, future potential and rideability.

Bolger’s winning score of 83.2 was followed by runner-up Micheal Daly and Ronan Rothwell’s home-bred Boleybawn Alton (Dignified van’t Zorgvliet x Crown Z) who scored 81.5.

Third place on a score of 81 went to another gelding by Dignified Van’t Zorgvliet, Maurice Cousins’ Make Me Happy, with Sophie Richards on board.

Fourth went to Tim Brennen’s mare GCS Venus (Luidam x OBOS Quality) ridden by Vincent Byrne on 80.2. Beth Burton and Cooley Farm’s Ardnore Cooley (Tyson x Aldatus Z) were fifth on 79.50 while Vincent Byrne also took sixth with Sumas Knockout (Tyson x VDL Arkansas), owned by Michael O’Neill, on 78.75.