IF A ‘When It Goes Off-Script’ chapter was needed for a How To Run An Agricultural Show guide, the Moate committee could have written it after last Sunday’s eventful show.

Proceedings at the 180th anniversary of this midlands show took a 180-degree turn between a Department of Agriculture spot check, the heavens opening, vehicles having to be towed into the show field and ground conditions soon resembling an Electric Picnic aftermath.

Only there was no electricity after a brief on-site power failure.

It could have been a write-off but for the cheerful committee members headed by chairman Michael Scott and the ever-smiling secretary Colin Doyle - a Michael Hughes in the making - who turned the day around.

By the afternoon, the sun came out, crowds jived along to Robert Mizzell and the team of tractor driver heroes just needed a miniature keg of brandy around their necks to rival the legendary St Bernard rescue dogs of the Swiss Alps.

Nothing new

The Newell family have shown their Kilcahill-breds at Moate in all kinds of weather. Rain or shine, the Claregalway family were beaming by the end of the A Browne/Horse Sport Ireland filly foal final as their Kilcahill Ruby won this championship on only her second outing after qualifying at Castlerea.

“We almost didn’t bring her!” Brendan Newell said about their sixth generation-bred Financial Reward filly out of the Colin Diamond-Clover Brigade mare Kilcahill Diamond.

Her Triggerero grand-dam Madonna Hill won the All-Ireland mare and foal championship at Iverk 20 years ago and what made Saturday’s victory even sweeter was Kilcahill Diamond herself won this final in 2010. That was same year she recorded an All-Ireland double by adding on the All-Ireland traditional foal title at Mountbellew.

Walk in the park

Leading the mare was Brendan’s son Matthew, who would have found the laps around the Moate ring last Sunday like the proverbial walk in the park.

The secondary school student is a triple All-Ireland racewalking champion this year, plus he won the international schools racewalking title too for good measure.

And just the day before, this keen young exhibitor had won the new in-hand Show Hunter Pony Challenge at Ballygarvan Show

Continuing this long line of two and four-legged champions, Kilcahill Ruby’s Clover Brigade grand-dam - Kilcahill Naomi - also bred two more All-Ireland filly foal champions at Moate (2013, 2014), both by Bahrain Cruise.

With the cancellation of this year’s All-Ireland traditional foal finals, Kilcahill Ruby cannot bid to add to the three titles already won there by her siblings (in 2014, 2017 and 2018).

Amongst those full-siblings are the 2018 Limerick Lady champion Kilcahill Gemini, retained by the Newells; Dessie Gibson’s Balmoral young horse champion Legacy, back at HOYS under saddle again this year for his UK owners and the Williamson family-owned KSF Spotlight, the All-Ireland yearling champion in 2021.

Final decision

The latest All-Ireland title wasn’t a foregone conclusion though, as David Kirkpatrick and Thomas Peoples’ initial line-up of 15 fillies saw Kieran O’Gorman’s Munther’s Miss Lux, in pole position. By his own thoroughbred Munther, the bay is out of Brookfield Miss Lux, making her a full-sister to O’Gorman’s 2019 champion here: Munther’s April.

Moate is a happy hunting ground for Munther stock as the year previously, PJ Lehane won the All-Ireland with another filly champion by him.

Making it a Munster 1-2 in the preliminary line-up was Seamus Lehane’s Future Trend filly out of his consistent winner all summer, Ballard Peaches & Cream and she stood one place ahead of Newell’s contender in third.

Their final decision saw the two judges reverse those first and third places with Kilcahill Ruby moving to the top of the line-up, Lehane’s filly holding the reserve place and Munther’s Miss Lux in third.

Taking fourth place was Yvonne Pearson’s Rosier filly Temperance Queen out of another Munther daughter, Kief Queen B, and completing a busy weekend for the Rothwell family, who were at Iverk the previous day, was their fifth place result with Greenhall Catwalk’s Dignified van’t Zorgvliet filly.

Sixth place went to another Galway combination in Pat Finn’s Dublin-winning Chelis HC Z filly.

Full credit

“It was a lovely ring of mares and foals and it was an honour to be invited to judge them. We felt our winner was extremely correct with a lovely step and will undoubtedly excel in the show ring over the next few years,” David Kirkpatrick commented afterwards.

“There was very little between the first few foals and we had to think long and hard before our final decision. Although we were lucky in the afternoon, the weather early in the day was less than kind and full credit to the show for running so well in difficult conditions,” David continued.

His co-judge Thomas Peoples was equally complimentary about their line-up, saying: “It is always enjoyable to judge with someone like David as he brings a great depth of experience when assessing youngstock. I thought there was a strong showing of athletic foals, most of which I’m sure will do very well in the future, both competitively and as broodmares.

“The winner was particularly well presented on the day, a good size with super quality and movement. I would expect her to have a very successful career,” said Thomas, an equine tutor since 2001 and currently teaching the Equine Level 6 Conformation and Evaluation module at Galway Community College.

“Well done to the sponsors for supporting such a successful class.”

Irish Shows Association’s Raymond Brady paid tribute to the final’s long-standing sponsor, the late Anthony Browne, who passed away in January and had supported this final since its move from Ballinasloe to Moate.

It was heartening to see the Browne family continue their sponsorship of this championship which is also part of Horse Sport Ireland’s showing series.