Ruth Rogers

THE Connemara ridden classes were divided into two sections.

In class A, the four and five-year-old mares and geldings were judged by Carolyn Whiteley and Margaret Evans, who chose the five-year-old mare Laerswill Lily (Laerkens Cascade Dawn-Willow Lady), owned by Staffan’s Joanna Butler as their winner. She was ridden by Kildare’s Nicola Perrin and bred by Athlone’s Tom O’Reilly. Aoife O’Connor’s Ballylee Castle Prince stood second.

The four-year-old mare Cashelbay Kate (Cashelbay Prince-Frederiksminde Mathilda), owned and bred by Robbie Fallon from Athenry’s Cashelbay Stud, was perfectly ridden by Michael Harty to take the red in class B.

In the mares and geldings six-year-old and over class A, Honeyhill Bacon (Crusheen Comet-Song of Liberty), bred by Portadown’s Helen Troughton, gave her Oughterard owners Joe and Anne Marie Tierney their first Dublin win. Anne Marie said: “Catherine Gorton rode him beautifully and never put a foot wrong.”

Awarded the blue rosette was the well-balanced gelding Kilpatrick Cascade (Moorland Snowy River-Kilpatrick Holly), bred by Joan Dolan and ridden by Joanne Quirke.

Class B of the section proved a happy hunting ground for Ted and Patrice Byrne’s Glencroft Aruba (Patty’s Bastion-Glen Lady 2nd) ridden to perfection by their daughter Emma who also won the class in 2014. The eight-year-old, bred by Joseph O’Neill at Leenane Co. Galway, has an old and established pedigree.

Mick and Michaela Butler from Straffan had their dun six-year-old Lillian’s Lad in pristine condition. Ridden by Perrin, he was a popular winner of class A of the six and over mares and geldings. The son of Maghera Fadda Lad and Prosperous Lillian was bred by Sue Ellen Heneghan from Castlebar. Lorli Higgins’s Cluain Laragh Lad, a high quality bay gelding ridden by her daughter Emily, was awarded second.

In Class B, Monaghanstown Rory (Currachmore Cashel-Monaghanstown Cindy), gave her Gorey owner and rider Kate Rath Doyle her second RDS win.

The ridden stallions produced the overall Supreme Ridden Champion in the grey nine-year-old stallion Shanbo Rory, owned by Sophie James from Oxfordshire and ridden by her sister Emma. Bred by Noel Farrell from Navan, he was bought as a six-year-old by Connemara judge Claire Oakes and hunted for a season with the Meaths.

When England’s Kelly Jones looked for a potential champion, Oakes recommended Shanbo Rory who went on to qualify for HOYS. His present owner bought him with Dublin in mind.

His sire Rory Rasputin, bred in Denmark, carries many of Pat Lyne’s foundation lines including Island Duke. Rory’s dam Kiltogorra Katie (Mervyn Pookhaun-Kiltogorra Grey) has many prominent names in her pedigree. Learswell Lilly and Nicola Perrin were worthy reserve champions.