THE Irish Draught Horse Breeders Association Laois Branch Show took place recently in the beautiful setting of Stradbally Hall, at the kind invitation of the Cosby family. The show was once again blessed with a dry day apart from a few early showers, and Irish Draught enthusiasts returned in large numbers to spectate. Classes were well filled in both the In-hand and Ridden rings with a total of over 120 entries.

The feature class of the day was the Breeders’ Championship, a combination class for Class 1 or 2 Irish Draught mares and foals, sponsored by Horse Sport Ireland and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine under the National Breeding Services Breeding Grant. The ridden ring also featured classes for Traditional Irish Horses, and the TIHA presented special prizes to the winners of these classes.

In the in-hand ring, the day began with six youngstock classes divided by gender and age, with quality youngsters professionally presented to judges Denis McGrath and Gerard O’Sullivan. Exhibitors ranged from old stalwarts to those trying showing for the first time, with all enjoying the relaxed and welcoming atmosphere always in evidence at this friendly show.

The Champion coming from this section was Noel C. Hamilton’s Glenheste Gold, a three-year-old chesnut colt by Carrabawn Cross, out of Glen Heste Mist by Ballinrobe Boy, bred by the exhibitor. This was a successful return to the show for the colt who won the two-year-old class in 2022. Reserve was P.J. Glynn’s Meenies Princess, a three-year-old filly by Coolcronan Wood, out of Ballylickey Princess, bred by Kieran and William Lynch.

The judges then had a big class of quality Irish Draught mares with foals at foot to sort out. James Heery’s Deirag Aingel came out on top in this class, a 12-year-old mare bred by Denis Dullea. This mare is by Inisfree the Holy Grail, out of Killoutain Opel by Crannagh Hero.

In the Irish Draught Colt Foal class, Trish O’Dwyer’s colt foal by The Bachelor out of Misty June stood top of the line. The winner of the Irish Draught Filly Foal class was Terry Keogh’s foal by Clogheen Captain Jack out of Bonnie Noreen (Rebel Mountain). This mare’s 2022 foal by the same stallion won the filly foal class at the show the previous year. The part-bred foal class was won by Tom Mooney’s colt foal by Another Pleasure, out of his mare Clonmell Queen by Star Kingdom.

Supreme In-hand Champion Glenheste Gold at the Laois Branch of IDHBA Show at Stradbally \ Between The Ears Equine Videos

Quality

It was great to see the class for Laois members well filled with quality animals. This class was won by long-standing Laois Branch Secretary, Eiline Brennan, with her home-bred Ballyharmon Gertrue, a 16-year-old mare by Sir Stormy Breeze out of Bonnetsrath Norrie (Blue Champion).

The next class saw 11 barren or stinted mares before the judges with their pick being Anthony Mannion’s Velvet Blue, a 12-year-old mare by the Mannion family’s late stallion Windgap Blue out of Meanoiche, bred by Patrick Corbett.

The feature class in the in-hand ring was the Breeders’ Championship with a prize fund of €1,500, sponsored by Horse Sport Ireland and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine under the National Breeding Services Breeding Grant. This class was for Class 1 or Class 2 Irish Draught mares with a purebred foal at foot and was judged with 40% of the marks for the mare and 60% of the marks for the foal.

Judge Nicola McCarthy came over from the ridden ring to join Denis McGrath and Gerard O’Sullivan and the three judges had to score each combination independently. This class was won by Trish O’Dwyer’s mare Misty June, a 10-year-old mare by Moylough Bouncer, out of Derradda Mist by Gurraun Zidane, with her colt foal by The Bachelor. Breeder of the mare, David Doyle, will also receive prize money of €200.

The judges then went on then to pick their mare and foal champions with the mare prize going to the stinted mare Velvet Blue, owned and exhibited by Anthony Mannion with the Reserve sash going to James Heery’s Deirag Aingel. The champion foal was Trish O’Dwyer’s colt foal out of Misty June and the reserve was Terry Keogh’s filly foal out of Bonnie Noreen.

The Supreme In Hand Champion of the Show was Noel C. Hamilton’s three-year-old colt Glenheste Gold and the Reserve was Trish O’Dwyer’s colt foal.

Traditional Irish Horse Champion and Reserve Champion, Roo Too with Zara Kelly and Lawnview Diamond with Deirdre Rafter at the Laois Branch of the IDHBA Show at Stradbally \ Between The Ears Equine Videos

Supporters

Over in Ring Two, judges Alice Griffin and Nicola McCarthy had six classes to assess. The opening class for four-year-old and older in-hand geldings was won by Louise Kavanagh’s Fred Showtime, a 10-year-old grey gelding by Fintan Himself, out of Diamond Anne by Sir Rivie, bred by Donal Reilly. Louise and Fred Showtime are faithful supporters of the show having attended every year since their partnership began in 2018, with the horse also attending as a four-year-old in 2017 with his previous owner Dermot Molloy.

The Ridden Irish Draught four- and five-year-old class was won by Judith Long’s Rebel Vision, a five-year-old grey gelding by Darragh Moylough Vision, out of Bailies Rebel by Huntingfield Rebel, bred by Sheila McElwine.

The ridden class for Irish Draughts six-year-olds and older was won by the very versatile Cloonan Hector, another great supporter of the show, ridden by owner Chris Carter. This win topped off a very successful weekend for the pair who won the Connolly’s Red Mills Amateur Champion of Champions Qualifier at the Flavours of Fingal County Show the previous day. The 11-year-old grey gelding is by Clewbay Bouncer, out of Warren Wendy by Crannagh Hero, bred by Tom Fitzgerald.

The Irish Draught Working Hunter Class was won for the second year in a row by the Katie Stafford-owned and ridden Dennistown Prince Of Pride, a seven-year-old stallion by Crosstown Pride out of Ballylusk Sunday Dawn (Golden Trump). Bred by Andrew Waldron, he was purchased by Katie’s dad John as a foal.

Reserve Youngstock Champion PJ Glynn’s Meenies Princess at the IDHBA Laois Branch show at Stradbally \ Between The Ears Equine Videos

Increased entries

Entries were greatly increased this year in the ridden and working hunter classes for Traditional Irish Horses. Providing some solace in a week that saw the loss of stallion Jackaroo, a 10-year-old daughter Roo Too claimed the TIH Championship, having earlier won the TIH Working Hunter Class.

Bred by the owner/breeder of Jackaroo, William Micklem, Roo Too is out of the Kings Master dam Glen Bliss and was ridden by Zara Kelly. Roo Too and Zara hold an entry in the TIH Working Hunter at the RDS. The Reserve Champion TIH was the winner of the Ridden TIH class, the five-year-old grey gelding Lawnview Diamond. Bred by Catherine and Colman Kearns, this gelding is by Young Carrabawn out of the Heigh Ho Silver Dam Countess Katy.

The final challenge of the day for the judges was to pick the Ridden Irish Draught Champion and their choice for 2023 was Chris Carter’s Cloonan Hector, with the Reserve sash going to Katie Stafford’s stallion Dennistown Prince of Pride. The IDHBA Laois Branch would like to thank all their many sponsors, volunteers, competitors and judges for contributing to a fantastic 2023 show.