THREE mini classes, sponsored by Oblique Displays, took place in Ring 1 at the Dublin Horse Show last Saturday when those who appeared before Rosemary Hetherington in the first ridden class may have had an early start to their day but had fewer distractions.

Jamie Greene’s British-bred Woodroyd Go Go Girl topped the final line-up under her new rider, Nancy Lyons Teehan, whose mother and coach, Louise, is no stranger to success in the Dublin rings. The eight-year-old chesnut mare by Woodroyd Toyboy finished fifth in the show hunter pony lead rein class in the hands of his owner’s son Cian.

Back to the first ridden where Aileen Goff’s 20-year-old Riversong Royal Ambassador mare Jasmyne de Sauviat narrowly failed to follow up her 2019 win under new rider Nessa Goff, while another seemingly ageless pony, Fiona Goor’s Rotherwood Statesman gelding Barkway State Affair, showed that he’s no back number when finishing third under another new rider, Amber Lane.

Coming before Jack Cochrane and Rosemary Hetherington in the evening on Saturday, competitors in the lead rein classes had to contend with the roars emanating from the Main Arena during the Land Rover Puissance competition. Some fared better than others.

Honours for Houston

In the show hunter pony class, the honours went to Seth Houston riding Denver Logan’s Amesbury Queen Bee whose previous win in this class came in 2018.

Another British-bred pony, this 12-year-old chesnut mare is by Amesbury Manhatten.

Pony ages here went as high as 22 but it was one of the younger ponies in the class, the five-year-old Welsh gelding Holthall Gladiator who finished second under Fionn Redmond.

While there were 23 entries in that class, there were only six in the show pony lead rein class won by Amelia Logan on her mother Ruth’s British-bred Sycamore Fairytale, a 10-year-old chesnut mare by Rhoson Havana.

Juliette Owens partnered the 18-year-old bay gelding Fofsway Ganymede.