THE 2024 Horse of the Year Show results were well-peppered with Irish horses and connections, including the brightest star of the week, the Irish Sport Horse Mulberry Lane, who won the ultimate prize - the Supreme Products 2024 HOYS Supreme Horse of the Year.

Owned by Sue Tennant and with Craig Kidder in the saddle, this nine-year-old by OBOS Quality 004 was bred in Co Down by Brian Clinghan and is out of the Hermes De Reve mare Lisnaree.

Mulberry Lane was the last to perform out of the 10 supreme horse finalists, after taking the middleweight championship, the overall hunter championship, as well as finishing third in the working hunter championship.

No strangers to the winners’ enclosure, this pair triumphed as the Barberstown Castle supreme horse champions at the Royal International Horse Show at Hickstead earlier this year, after clinching the working hunter title there and they also won the supreme working hunter championship at the Royal International in 2023.

Clinghan, who was not ringside on this occasion, said the win was a ‘dream come true’ nevertheless.

“When you’re breeding, you hope to win a championship, but to win the supreme, it’s just a dream,” he said.

“And for him to be able to do the workers as well, you know, he’s just a horse of a lifetime.”

Clinghan sold the horse to Tennant after she spotted him exhibiting at Dublin as a three-year-old, but he stayed home to be broken before travelling to Yorkshire.

“He was always a very, very good mover from day one, and he always was very, very straightforward. And Sue was very patient with him and gave him a lot of time and I think that’s what made all the difference.”

Clover Hill Magic, bred by the Lee family of Ballyconneely, was reserve in the Price Family Supreme Championship (ponies) at HOYS 2024 \ 1st Class Images

Captivating Connemaras

Another huge Irish result at HOYS came in the coveted Price Family Supreme In-Hand Championship, when Clover Hill Magic, bred in the heart of Connemara by the Lee family (Clover Hill Connemara Ponies), stood reserve champion in the pony section for owner Cathy Wood and handler Jamie Frost. Clover Hill Magic is a 2017 stallion by Glencarrig Knight out of Inverin Misty (Frederiksminde Hazy Match), who was also crowned supreme champion at the British Connemara Breeders’ Society show earlier this year.

Speaking to The Irish Field after a thrilling week at HOYS with her husband Peter and daughter Caitlin, Bridget Lee said getting reserve champion was a “dream come true”.

“It was very nerve-wracking, I felt like they liked him, but Peter wasn’t too sure! They watched him all the way and, I have to say, he is beautiful to look at but he also has superb movement, easy and light, just lovely. He was fourth in 2022, third in 2023, and this year second, so it’s unreal. Full credit to Cathy and Jamie, they produced him to such a high level.”

Lee explained that getting her hands on the dam, Inverin Misty, was tricky but entirely worthwhile.

“Peter tried to buy her as a two-year- old and told the breeder to tell us if he ever changed his mind, then I saw her at the Clifden sales and my eyes nearly popped out of my head. She had unreal limbs, super quality of bone, it’s very rare to see a pony of that quality. I rang Peter and he told me to buy her at whatever price, that was one thing we totally agreed on. The breeder, Sean Flaherty, gave us a good luck penny and the rest is history.

“Magic foaled in May 2017 and was second in a huge class at Clifden that year. We would only let him go to the best of homes, he was a quality, quality foal and he’s won everything for Cathy. It took us seven years, but we now have a full-sister of Magic’s, who was reserve champion at Ballyconneely and we will be hanging on to her!”

Little Dromin Phoenix, winner of the 143 Working Hunter at Horse of The Year Show 2024 \ 1st Class Images

Evie Kennedy and her successful 2009 Connemara Little Dromin Phoenix (Lettermuckoo Lad x Dolan Mick) also had a day beyond their dreams at HOYS last Friday, winning their class, the 143 WH Pony and riding in the championship. This pair also won the WH championship at the 2024 Dublin Horse Show.

“It’s magic,” her mum, Maeve, said.

“It was Evie’s first time riding at HOYS. We went last year to watch and she put qualifying for Dublin and HOYS on her list of aims for the year, so to win both is just amazing. We never dreamed he’d do what he did.

“She has Phoenix for two years. We were just hoping to do pony club eventing. Then they just had an amazing year and we were all off to HOYS! She put in huge work with her trainer Vitaliy Halstyan and he’s a lovely pony, they have a great bond.”

CSF Chantilly Galway Girl, winner of the 153cm show hunter class at HOYS 2024 \ 1st Class Images

Galway girl

The Patrick Connolly-bred CSF Chantilly Galway Girl (ISH), first produced here by Imelda O’Shaughnessy, was also a HOYS winner taking Sunday’s 153cm show hunter class.

Owned by Nicol Donaldson and ridden by Mia Donaldson, this 11-year-old mare is by Arkan out of Miss Gui Khan (Guidam). Second in this class was another ISH, Rosscon Copycat (Royal Storm (TB) x Castle Comet (CP), bred by John Kearns. The Connolly’s CSF prefix also appeared in the results section in the NAF Five-Star Bronze League Championship (1.10m against the clock), when Stacy Willsone was second with CSF Olympic Lady (Luidam x Cruising).

Other Irish or Irish Sport Horse podium placings of note included the M&M Ridden Dales Pony of the Year class, where Charlotte Smiley was third with Copleylane Ringo.

Winner of the Working Hunter of the Year Championship was Uisneagh Camus (ISH) and fourth was Cairnview Redwood Guy (ISH) ridden by Co Down’s Lesley Jones for Yvonne Pearson. This pair also won at the Royal Highland this year.

The ridden Connemara Class 25, as reported in last week’s paper, was won by Moyabbey George, bred in Moycullen by Tony Walsh, with Castle Kestrel bred by Clifden’s Henry O’Toole in third. Winner of Class 2, the 1.35m Senior Newcomers Championship was Billy Heinz (AES), bred by British-based Irishman Donal Barnwell and third in class 4, the 1.20m Blue Chip Pony Newcomers Championship was Rouet Rouge (ISH), ridden by Ella Spencer.

The intermediate show hunter class on Saturday and the Small hunters on Sunday was won by Briarhill Buddy Bolden (ISH) with SCT Master Of The Hounds (ISH) in third in both of those classes and Lenhalls Legacy (ISH) second in the small hunters.