JANET Murray’s role as judge for the qualifying rounds of the Balmoral Star of the Future performance horse championships concluded last Sunday when the fifth and final leg was staged in rather inclement weather at Lusk Equestrian Centre.

Olympic event rider Eric Smiley will judge the finalists in the five-year-old championship and the six- to eight-year-old championship in the Main Arena at the 153rd Balmoral Show on Friday, May 13th and Murray, probably best known as a selector and chef d’equipe of the young horse team for Le Lion d’Angers, is happy that she has sent forward some quality horses for the dual Olympian to access.

The highest score recorded last Sunday came in the older horse section where North Coast veterinary surgeon Rosie Alcorn came out on top with her home-bred seven-year-old Chrysanthos (78 marks).

The bay gelding, who has won twice at EI100 level and has been placed in EI110 company, rounded off last season by claiming the reserve spot, on his dressage score, in the prestigious Michael Leonard championship at the Ballindenisk international event in September. Earlier this month, he finished fifth in the EI110 at Tyrella (2).

Chrysanthos, who is registered with the Anglo European Studbook, is by the Selle Francais stallion Jaguar Mail out of the Renkum Valentino mare Fiorella on whom Alcorn won the CCI2* (now three-star) at the Camphire international in 2013. The dam is a half-sister to many international performers including the VDL Ricochet gelding Rocco (CCI4*-L).

Well-known Ballynahinch working hunter exponent Rachel Moore finished second on Ballymacbrennan Merdios (76.5), a six-year-old Mermus R gelding who has 40 Show Jumping Ireland points to his credit.

The bay Irish Sport Horse was bred by Nixon Beacom, husband of Eventing Ireland Northern Region’s event coordinator and show jumping judge Dora Beacom. He is the first of three foals out of his dam, Ballymacbrennan Condita (by Condios), being followed by a 2017 Beach Ball colt and a 2018 Je T’Aime Flamenco filly, both of whom were also purchased by Moore. The dam is due this year to Lucarelli.

Qualifying in third place with 70 marks was another horse registered with the SJI, Daphne, who has amassed 20 points, the vast majority last year, under her rider on Sunday, Sammy Weston. The eight-year-old mare is by Indian Red, from whom she gets her skewbald colour, and was bred in Co Down by Jenny McLeigh out of the Carrolls Flight mare, Golden Flight.

Corbett on top

Rosie Alcorn put in a strong bid to win the five-year-old qualifier as well on Goodwins Whoopi (73) but here she had to settle for second behind Emily Corbett and her ISH gelding, Tyrella Delboy (74.5).

This brown son of the Selle Francais stallion Harlequin du Carel was bred in Co Wexford by M.J. Kavanagh out of AFS Black Pearl (by Colin Diamond) who comes from the family of Shannondale Carter/Celtic Fortune (CCI4*, now five-star). Tyrella Delboy has competed three times at EI90 level, most recently placing sixth at the first of this year’s Northern Region events at the Corbett family’s Co Down estate.

The ISH mare Goowins Whoopi, who had one EI80 (T) outing last season, was bred in Co Kilkenny by Larry Costello. She is by OBOS Quality 004 out of the Master Imp mare Goodwins Babe, a half-sister to the Ghareeb gelding Goodwins Reef (CCI4*) and an own-sister to Goodwins 007 (CSI3*) and Goodwins Loyalty (CSI5*).

Some way adrift in third came Emma Jackson with the Viona Wilson-bred Ardglen Star Happiness (65). This chesnut mare, who is by the thoroughbred sire Road To Happiness out of Ardglen Star Dancer (by Crosstown Dancer), won the four and five-year-old performance championship at Balmoral last September.

Before the Balmoral qualifier started, the officials sat down to lunch and, as they vacated the White Horse Cafe, their places were taken by many of those who had competed in the centre’s own Arena Jump-Mix during the morning. As with the Balmoral classes, those earlier competitions took place over a course of 17 jumping efforts but in 70cms, 85cms and 1m classes.

The next show scheduled for Lusk EC is their May Day Show on Monday, May 2nd when there will also be a car boot sale.