ONCE again the south-east downed tools and headed to Killag for the 71st running of Bannow and Rathangan Show last Thursday. Hosted on James and Veronica White’s farm, nine rings ran from 9am throughout the day and where the day’s first champion was also crowned.

Barossa Stud’s youngstock champion Barossa Irish Rose, a dark bay two-year-old filly by Rathnaleen Sinatra had a short journey from nearby Cleariestown to win this title while in the overall in-hand pony championship, it was a win for Thalia Smithwick O’Brien’s pair.

Champion was her filly foal by the Connemara Grade A show jumping stallion Riversdale Goliath out of Donode Don’t Forget, the last Connemara bred by the late Countess April Merveldt. This mare was originally bought for Thalia’s son Diarmuid to hunt with the Kilkennys and do Pony Club with and goes back under saddle with Diarmuid’s younger sister Isabel next year.

Thalia and her mother Deirdre had won the pony broodmare class at Bannow on five previous occasions since 2004 before Donode Don’t Forget’s win and reserve champion title.

Ronnie White’s athletic About Time Too, by the Nimmerdor son Newtime and out of a Temple Clover dam, was William Barry and Con Keohane’s broodmare champion choice from nicely supported classes.

Their reserve champion choice was Julie Radden’s Rose Garland (Mr H VII) while Declan Daly’s colt foal, by the thoroughbred Zebadiah, was their champion foal. Dignified van’t Zorgvliet was well represented in the foal classes and Joe Walsh’s filly by him took the other foal class.

John Roche’s Bannow and Rathangan young horse champion Assagart Hopeful \ Susan Finnerty

Winning streak

Enniskerry owners Michael and Mary Kelly have been on a winning streak recently with their Chesterfield King Curtis, produced for them by Alicia Devlin Byrne. Having qualified for the Dublin side-saddle class at Charleville, the Kings Master bay followed up with the Longford championship and then the Bannow tricolour.

Reserve ridden horse champion was George Chapman’s multi-tasking Sleehaun Dancer as the Numero Cruise - Welcome Flagmount gelding, bred by John Clancy, also won the working hunter horse title. Standing reserve to Sleehaun Dancer and Aubrey Chapman in this championship was J.J Bowe’s Sherry.

This Cappa Amadeus four-year-old was having a pre-Scarteen outing where the Noel Sheridan-bred duly qualified last Saturday for the Irish Draught performance class at Dublin.

The pony working hunter title went to Sean Myler’s 153cms class winner Tricklebrooks Jaguar ahead of Lucy Kelly’s Rowdown Archer from the 143cms division.

The Chapman family also owned the reserve champion young horse - Courtown Star, another by the Clinton son Dignified van’t Zorgvliet and the equally busy Rebecca Monahan’s champion choice was John Roche’s Assagart Hopeful, a two-year-old filly by the winning combination for the Foulksmills family of Castleforbes Lord Lancer and The Irish Field Breeders Championship two-time winning dam Assagart My Only Hope.