THE first opportunity for young horses to secure a place to compete at this year’s Dublin Horse Show took place at The Meadows on Wednesday.

With a dozen places on offer in the five-year-old division, competition was always going to be stiff.

Of the 117 combinations which lined out, 41 produced a first round clear over John Doyle’s 1.20m track to progress to the second round. Just 16 managed to keep a clean sheet to progress to the third round against the clock. With just 12 places available, four riders were about to be disappointed.

In the end, it was Vincent Burton’s home-bred mare Drumrankin Ebony, by Concorde out of Drumrankin Ruby, by Marcuzzi, who was guided to the win by Olivia Roulston. The pair stopped the clock at 36.95 seconds.

Williams Sport Horses Ltd’s Belgian-bred mare, Euphorbia V Twelve Oaks Z (Emerald Van’t Ruytershof x Bently Van De Heffinck) was ridden into the runner-up spot by Rhys Williams in 38.26. Maddie Brennan and Rachel Moxham’s home-bred mare Belle Mai (Luidam x Furistos Trump) and Vincent Byrne finished in third place in 38.62.

Fourth was another owned by Williams Sport Horses Ltd, PARC Violeta (Kannan x Emilion). She was ridden by young rider Aaron Costello and was bred by the owners.

Gemma Phelan and her own Rosco Alienne 2 (Tyson x Alvarez 17), bred by Joe Connaughton, took fifth place, while Leah Stack with Gary and Leslie Hazlewood from Triple T Farms’ BP Vibrant (Vibrant van de Heffinck x Lux Z), bred by Michael J Hogan, were sixth.

Cornascriebe Emmie (Emerald Van’t Ruytershof x Orestus), bred by Carol M Armstrong, owned by Stephen Moore was ridden into seventh by Emma O’Dwyer.

Abigail Boland and her mother Mary’s Gorsevalley Camante (Canturo x Cracker Jack), bred by Catherine Dunphy, slotted into eighth place, while Junior Anna White guided Fergal White’s Belgian-bred stallion Zuperman BC Z (Zirocco Blue VDL x Carthino Z), bred by Butler Court Stables, into ninth.

Robyn Moran and Fortside Farms’ Fortside Obsession (Sligo Candy Boy x Lux Z), bred by Padraig Arthur, claimed 10th place.

The 11th spot went to another Belgian-bred, Cooley Farm’s Touch of Cooley (Untouchable x Zapatero VDL) with Amanda Goldsbury in the saddle.

Michael Brennan’s home-bred MHS Enable (Emerald x Mr Blue) and Carolin Huuva secured the 12th and final qualifying spot, at this first of three qualifiers.

Nicholas Connors riding Jump The Gun, winners of the Six-Year-Old RDS Qualifier at The Meadows \ Tori O’Connor

Six-year-olds

The Six-year-old qualifier also offered a dozen places at the Dublin show and 89 combinations lined out.

Held as a regular 1.30m jump-off class over two rounds, it was quite easily decided in the end, because just 12 riders managed to produce a double clear round.

Nicholas Connors was fastest in the timed round to claim first place. He partnered Jump The Gun (I’m Special De Muze x Master Imp), owned and bred by Ann Connors, to the win in 40.57.

Niamh McEvoy and Boleybawn Horses’ stallion Alvaro (Dominator Z x Crown Z), bred by Ronan Rothwell, were second in 40.93.

Kian Dore and Cape Tribulation (Womanizer x Cruising), bred by Peter Killeen and owned by Edel Dore, were third in 41.03.

Michael Kelleher’s Martello Chapella (Celtic Hero B Z x Indoctro), bred by John Kerr and ridden by Mark Cleary, took fourth in 41.24.

Vincent Byrne partnered Annmarie Dunne’s CSF Thomascourt Zena (Zirocco Blue VDL x Prince Des Vaux), bred by Patrick Connolly, to take fifth place.

Sixth went to Jason Foley riding Abdullah Waleed Al Sharbatly’s Ballyshan B F Super Hero (Celtic Hero B Z x Lux Z), bred by Gary Doherty, while seventh went to Kelly Taggart with her own and Sean Kelly’s Belgian-bred Symphonie AEG (Inaico VDL x Arezzo VDL).

Junior Eoin Brennan and Tim Brennan’s home-bred Augustus Z (Aganix du Seigneur Z x Vigo D’arsouilles) finished in eighth.

Winner of last year’s six-year-old Cruising Championships in Dublin with Laurina, Leah Stack ensured that the late Noel Cawley will be well-represented at this year’s show, when she rode the mare he bred, Luisa (Luidam x Flex A Bill), into the ninth qualifying spot.

The 10th spot went to Alan Robertson’s Glenfield Harrington (Clarimo x Untouchable 27) with Tony O’Donohoe aboard.

Coen Williams’ Carlingfords Chin Lui (Luidam x Diamond Chin) took 11th place for owner/breeder Patrick Micheal Hughes, while the 12th and final qualifying place went to Vincent Byrne riding last year’s five-year-old Flexible National Champion, LMG Enterprises’ Gone Girl VB (Emerald Van’t Ruytershof x Cobra), bred by Eleanor Byrne.

Seven- and eight-year-olds

With just nine places on offer in the seven- and eight-year-old qualifier, almost 100 horses lined out over the 1.45m jump-off class in the Meadows.

Some 33 produced a clear first round to battle it out against the clock. Molly Hughes Bravo proved best, riding Maurice Devlin’s seven-year-old HHS Ice Flo (Iceman De Muze x Cyrano 145), bred by Kevin Meagher. The duo stopped the clock at 40.89, a full second ahead of their closest rival, to secure the top-spot.

Castlefield Breeding Farm’s Belgian-bred gelding Mister Qerly Z (Mosito VH Hellehof x For Pleasure) was ridden into the runner-up spot by Jason Foley in 41.90.

2024 Balmoral Grand Prix runner-up Oliver Glancy’s Clonterm Obolensky (Cornet Obolensky x Lux Z), ridden by Clem McMahon and bred by Brian Duff, finished third.

Fourth went to Harry Wood riding Greg Broderick’s Pembrook Corbetts Lane (Kannan x Guidam), bred by Kilmashogue Stud, while fifth was Balmoral Grand Prix winning rider Francis Derwin, this time aboard Carol Gee’s Dutch-bred Leonardo (I’m Special De Muze x Voltaire).

Sinead Brennan’s home-bred MHS Drops of Jupiter (Luidam x Cavalier Royale) placed sixth for son Jack Brennan.

Dermott Lennon and Gerry Marron’s home-bred Kinmar Right On Time (Aganix Di Seigneur x Kinmar Dancing Queen) took seventh.

Eighth place went to Sean Monaghan riding his own mare Cornet Clover Girl, while the final qualifying spot went to Thomas Foley’s Belgian-bred gelding Roger De Mariposa (Vegabond De La Pomme x Air Jordan Z) with Brendan Murphy in the saddle.

Four-year-olds

There were just eight places available in the highly sought after four-year-old division at the Horse Show and it fell to German judges, Marc Hahne from the Hannoveraner Verband and Philipp Baumgart to select them from the 77 youngsters that started over the 1m nine-fence course.

William Greene’s home-bred mare Edentrillick Twisted Pixie by Kentucky Van’T Ruytershof out of Haiti’s Van’T Klavertje Vier, by Bentley Van De Heffinck, was ridden to first place by Hannah Agnew. They were awarded the highest mark of 80.5.

Brian O’Malley’s home-bred stallion Emerald Quay (Emerald Van’t Ruytershof x Catoki), with Ita McDermott in the saddle, took the runner-up spot on a score of 79.62.

Kerry Taggart rode her own stallion L. Tango (Tangelo van de Zuuthoeve x Harley VDL), bred by Fergal Rice, into third place with 78.5.

Michael Roche rode his own home-bred Lockdown Lucky (Tyson x Ars Vivendi) into fourth on a score of 78, while Lee Carey guided Ciaran Howley’s Sligo Candy Cornet (Sligo Candy Boy x Cornet´s Stern), bred by Padraig Howley, into fifth with 77.5.

Sixth place went to junior Ben Walsh aboard Ronan McLaughlin’s Carro Miss Don VHP (Don VHP Z x Ard VDL Douglas) on 76.51.

Catherine Thornton and her own home-bred Millonix (Echonix x Arko III) took seventh, with a score of 76.5.

The eighth, and final qualifying spot went to Camryn Clarke riding his mother Victoria’s Dutch-bred Perla TN (Cantona TN x Eldorado Van De Zeshoek) on a score of 75.52.

The next horse qualifier for the Dublin Horse Show 2024 takes place in Barnadown, Co Wexford on June 12th, with the third and final qualifier taking place in Mullingar on June 26th.