Margie McLoone

WHILE the real Glendalough Church and Tower remain in situ during the year, the RDS versions were on the move during Dublin Horse Show week, appearing in Ring 2 one minute and the Main Arena the next.

However, it was an old favourite, the Spider’s Web, which was the main focal point on the course for the performance Irish Draught championship which got the action under way in Ring 2 on Wednesday morning.

A glance down the scoresheet for the four and five-year-old class showed that six horses jumped clear but, while two of these also scored highly for rhythm and fluency, technique and also balance and harmony with their rider, they lost out badly when it came to the conformation judging.

Spectators were surprised to see Liam Lynskey’s young Moylough Bouncer stallion DS Ballagh Bouncer return under Hannah Gordon but, in spite of a stop, he carried the highest score (280 points) of the five into the second phase having been best on the flat (72). When it came to ride, however, the grey didn’t fare as well as some and had to settle for second place on 310, just one point adrift of the winner, Sir Zircon.

That Gurraun Zidane gelding was purchased privately last October, broken and riding, by owner Emma Ryan and her partner Jason Furlong who rode the grey at Dublin. Out injured at the time, Furlong wasn’t on board the five-year-old when he qualified at their home track of Scarteen, that honour going to Pat Gleeson.

Sir Zircon, who is on the market, was bred out of the Merry Mate mare Clough Rua Silver Queen by Ballinasloe’s Martin Kelly who was at the RDS to see him win.

“We fell in love with him immediately and he had a very good attitude from day one,” said Furlong who was winning at the RDS for the first time. “We bought just this one horse for the class but you can be sure we will be out there looking for another as soon as we can!”

Only four horses managed to go clear in the six-year-old and upwards class and here it was one of the two ‘four-faulters’ in the final five, King Flagmount, who came out on top by a five point margin (315) under his delighted Co Wicklow owner Alicia Devlin Byrne.

The chesnut 10-year-old, who received maximum points (30) for conformation, is by Welcome Flagmount and was bred near Castlebar by Denis Clynes out of the Ginger Dick mare Spring Days.

Both the Hueys’ Tullys Sasha (Casey Webb) and Gerald Furnell’s Ballycahane Silver Vixen (Dominic Furnell) completed on 310 points but the former, an eight-year-old Creevagh Grey Rebel mare got the nod as she had the higher jumping score. Easily best on the flat was the Lesley Webb-partnered Tommie Tucker (74) but the Holycross cob had three fences down.

The top two in both classes returned for the championship and, as she competes with so many different animals in so many showing classes, there was little surprise when a huge cheer greeted the announcement that Alicia Devlin Byrne’s King Flagmount took the title with Sir Zircon in reserve. The classes and championship were judged by Robin Sharp and David Machin but the latter ricked his back during the session and was unable to act as judge for the heavyweight hunters on Friday morning.