THE national young horse championships held at the Dublin Horse Show saw the cream of the crop line out in each of the age divisions.

It was a second consecutive win for Greg Broderick’s Ballypatrick Stables in the Mo Chroi four-year-old final, when Harry Wood partnered GBBS Ltd and Matt Calderwood’s gelding MHS Mix de Blue (Aganix Du Seigneur x Plot Blue), bred by Sinead and Michael Brennan, to victory. It was a first Dublin championship win for the young rider from the north of England.

The duo scored 172 points, which was well clear of the runners-up, another from the Ballypatrick stable and also sired by Aganix Du Seigneur, BP Wishes. Ridden by Niamh McEvoy, the mare scored 163.5. Third place went to Shane Kenny riding his own mare Leestone Emeresky (Emerald Van’T Ruytershof x Cornet Obolensky), bred by John McKibbin, with a score of 152.

“He is an absolute gentleman. For a big four-year-old, he is so mature in his mentality and the feeling he gives is incredible; he’s so easy and light off the floor. I was really happy for the Brennans, they have bred a lot of good horses and I’m hoping this one is going to be the best one of the lot!” Wood said of the winner.

Goggins has the Cutting Edge

Cutting Edge Too, owned and bred by Anne Marie O’Gorman and ridden by Shane Goggins, won the Flexible five-year-old National Championships in the main arena at the RDS.

By Urano De Cartigny, out of Cutting Edge by Carthago Z, she was ridden successfully as a four-year-old by Coen Williams until Goggins took over the ride in March of this year. The pair qualified at Barnadown in June and finished in fourth place in the first round in Dublin, before galloping to a brilliant victory in a competitive class.

Speaking about his winning mount, Goggins said: “She’s a lovely mare. I got her at the start of the year, she had been to Dublin before, Coen Williams had her here as a four-year-old. She’s actually very straightforward, she’s mature for her age. Nothing phases her too much. She just likes to run and jump, so it makes it an easy enough job to ride her.”

Alvaro impresses

Boleybawn Alvaro was named the 2024 six-year-old Cruising National Champion in the RDS in August. Partnered by the ultra-talented Niamh McEvoy, the stallion is co-owned by Greg Broderick and his breeder Ronan Rothwell.

By the Zangersheide sire Dominator 2000 Z, out of Arina (Crown Z), he was originally ridden by Jack McKeon in his four, and the start of his five-year-old year, before he handed over the reins to McEvoy in May 2023.

Niamh McEvoy and Boleybawn Alvaro, winners of the six-year-old Cruising National Champion in the RDS \ Laurence Dunne Jumpinaction.net

The duo finished in third place in the 2023 Flexible five-year-old championships, as well as winning the silver medal at the young horse world championships in Lanaken.

“He’s an amazing horse. He barely hit a fence for the whole of his five-year-old year. This year, he did a bit of breeding, so he got a bit of a break, which was nice,” McEvoy said. “He is so easy and straightforward, nothing fazes him. He knows when it’s a big day. We are very lucky he has such a good mentality.

"He is one of the most exciting young horses I’ve ever ridden. I definitely think he’s a horse that will go all the way.”

The Dutch dominated in the seven and eight-year-old 1.40m international championship on the final day of the show. Holland’s Harrie Smolders and Devino VD Weretherbach Z (De Flor 11 Z x Calvin Z) came out on top.

An important competition, it allows our National and international riders to introduce the horses in their string, which they hope will step up to represent Ireland abroad at the highest level.

Leading riders

Mikey Pender was named Leading International Rider of the five-star Dublin Horse Show. The Kildare man accumulated 28 points, having placed fifth in the Minerva Stakes and second in the Sport Ireland Classic on Wednesday, fourth in the Speed Derby and eighth in the Cashel Palace Hotel Stakes on Thursday.

He finished second in the Dublin Stakes, second in the pairs relay and won the Puissance on Saturday, as well as taking seventh in the Rolex Grand Prix of Dublin on Sunday.

“I’m thrilled to have been named leading international rider at such a prestigious five-star show. Dublin is one of the best shows in the world and has only been made better by the addition of the Rolex Grand Prix. My horses have all been really good this week and I’m delighted with the results,” Pender reflected.

Niamh McEvoy was named Leading National rider after five days of the Dublin show, where she earned five top-five places including a win and a runner-up spot.

“I was so pleased to be named Leading National Rider of the show. In addition to the six-year-olds, where I finished first and fourth, I also had a four-year-old BP Wishes who finished second in the four-year-old championship, which was great.”

She had earned her place in the internationals classes by placing in the top two of the Premier Series after the penultimate leg.