GLORIA Nolan’s successful season with her home-bred gelding Ardnehue Maxamillion continued last Saturday at Forth Mountain, where James O’Connor hosted the first RDS Irish Draught/Connemara qualifier for 2023.

Nolan’s victory came in Section A of the five to seven-year-old Connemara performance hunter class, where she scored 235.5 points with her seven-year-old Burning Daylight grey, who is out of April Thunder (by Robe Thunder).

Earlier this season, Nolan and Ardnehue Maxamillion were second in the final and league of the pony producers section of the Stepping Stones to Success League at Wexford Equestrian, won the Connemara working hunter class and the open working hunter class at the Irish Draught Breeders Association Kildare Branch show at Punchestown and have qualified for the final of the Sports Pony Challenge.

Freya Alken qualified in second with Helen Burns’s Glasson Shadow (232). Bred in Co Westmeath by Felim Finnegan, this seven-year-old Silver Shadow gelding is out of Gorrynagowna Lady (by Matchmakers Lad).

Four tickets are on offer for these Connemara classes at each qualifier, and Isabel Frawley claimed the first of these in Section B with Viola and John McGreal’s home-bred Glynsk Star (234 points), on whom she finished eighth of 23 in an EI90 at Rosanna last month. The six-year-old grey gelding by Lonsdale Legend is out of Likesker Silver Lady (Earl Of Newbridge).

Also qualifying here for Dublin was Phoebe Horgan riding her mother Hannah’s Garvagh Moonlight Boy (231.5), a five-year-old bay or brown gelding by Monaghanstown Boy, who was bred by Mary Tynan out of her Moonlight Silver Shadow mare Garvagh Silver Moonlight.

Well-known

As with the older Irish Draughts, there was only one class for ponies aged eight to 15 inclusive, which attracted a starting lineup of 26, a dozen of whom failed to complete.

The winner was Liz Power’s well-known Diarmuid Ryan-partnered Kilshanny Robert (238.5 points). The 2012 grey by Cashelbay Prince was bred in Britain by Julie Crangles out of Garvagh Countess (by The Earl Of Castlefrench). Last August, Kilshanny Robert finished third at Dublin in the hands of Christine O’Donnell who is no long eligible to ride in these classes having competed at CCI3* level.

Lisa Murphy finished second with Austin Fanning’s nine-year-old dun Glenayre Mystical Bobby gelding Kinamara Bobby (237), who Michael Burke bred out of the Killaloe Buachaill Mór mare Carnagullach Geraldine.

Fifth in a flat class at Dublin last August and in a Connemara working hunter class at Balmoral in May, Cathy Leggett’s 11-year-old Newtown Moll’s Pride gelding Doonreaghan Oak (232) finished third here under regular rider, Jessica Murphy. The grey was bred by Ronan Nee out of Dusty Oak (by Abbeyfort).

The final ticket was secured by Micky Joe (231.5), who was ridden by Kerri McDonald for her father Stephen. This Brendan Coyne-bred nine-year-old grey gelding by Weststar Sunny is out of the Dangan Boy mare Coral Misty’s Kate.