LONGFORD Show’s Bernie Whyte must have fulfilled one important pre-show ritual this year by having a Child of Prague statue out to ward off bad weather. Superstition or not, last Sunday stayed dry, despite some ominous thunderclouds overhead and the warm day brought out the Longford crowds in droves.

This was the second year for the show to be hosted on Cllr Gerry Hagan’s land in Enybegs and the relocated horse rings worked well. Another Longford change is their new general secretary, Ruth McNally, while the equally efficient Bernie, assisted on the day by daughter Alice, has the task of being equine secretary.

Longford’s no late entries policy meant a relevant catalogue and entries were good across the classes, most of all in the booming ridden and working hunter horse sections.

Marion Condren (conformation judge) and Tony Ennis (ride judge) had the not inconsiderable task of finding the ridden champion from a variety of classes and their choice was the side-saddle class winner Erronagh Sky, owned and ridden by Breda Perrin from Boyle.

“I have Sky since he was five and mostly show jumped in Riding Club and amateurs. Now that he is 22, I thought to ease him into retirement, I would try some showing classes. So, this February, we tried him with a side-saddle and he worked away happy with it and we had some great days out this year,” said his delighted owner.

Breda Perrin’s Cruising veteran Erronagh Sky won the Longford side-saddle class and ridden horse championship \ Susan Finnerty

Originally named Mr Cruise, the champion was bred by Mary McCann, so little surprise to see the veteran is by Cruising and out of the Sky Boy - Arctic Que dam, Arctic Sky. And, as the damsire of James Kann Cruz, once owned and produced by the Gannon family, Cruising strikes a definite chord with locals.

Coincidentally, the reserve champion: Marie Helena Finnegan’s Hollyrock Diamond Boy was bred a proverbial stone’s throw away from James Kann Cruz’s Connolly Stud Farm base, by Peter Reilly in Belclare.

Another versatile campaigner, the Mountain Diamond - Sea Crest five-year-old competed in the performance Irish Draught qualifier at Rincoola the previous day, then won the Longford lightweight hunter class before standing reserve champion to Erronagh Sky.

Charlotte Walshe’s Kinsau is another multi-tasker. The winner of the Treo Eile Pathway Series novice final last September hosted at Trim Show, he won Sunday’s Treo Eile racehorse to riding horse class and then later, added a bonus title to his Longford haul.

“Kinsau has done a lot of eventing with Sofie Walshe, they represented Ireland at junior and young rider level and were placed up to four-star level. He’s now with his new rider Emma Kenny and today was their first outing together.

“Emma is a member of Longford Pony Club and, last year, won the eventing junior championship at Tattersalls on her own pony. She’s making the transition to horses and hopes to be competing Kinsau with Eventing Ireland as a junior rider in the autumn and next year.”

That plan got off to a good start when they won the 1m class in the Zohra Smyth and Emer Lawlor-judged working hunter section too.

“They also took the working hunter championship title. Emma won the 85cm working hunter on her own pony [Ollie], so she had a fantastic day today,” added Charlotte.

Now a 14-year-old, Kinsau was in training with Charlestown Racing’s Ciaran Murphy. “He ran once as a four-year-old in a maiden hurdle race. I got him then as he wasn’t fast enough!”

The reserve in the Frank Kilkenny Memorial working hunter championship was Alicia Devlin Byrne’s novice class winner, The Kings Silver (WRS Elvis).

Longford Show’s equine secretary Bernie Whyte with assistant WEG Norman \ Susan Finnerty

More Longford tricolour winners included Gary Guyatt’s young horse and traditional champion choice, Ian Murphy’s Midnight Dancer. By the Mayo family’s own thoroughbred stallion Singing N Dancing, the two-year-old filly is out of the pure-bred Draught mare Ava’s Delight (Clonakilty Hero) and the reserve champion was Willie Lyttle’s yearling winner, My Valley Diamond (Vittorio).

The Bohan family from Mohill recorded a back-to-back double in the Irish Draught championship at Longford, this year with Amy’s Heigh Ho Dubh mare Gortfadda Heigh Ho. In reserve was Dermot and Marissa Hebron’s two-year-old Moylough Legacy - Coolcronan Wood filly: Derisney Millie’s Legacy.

The next Longford champion, in the adjoining ridden pony ring, was Emily Hall’s Tom’s Belle (Knockclanagad Tom Boy) from the 153cm show hunter class and Christy Tully selected Ronan Lynch’s Hilin Peter Pan (Hilin Carnedd) as reserve. Gerry Fennell owned the Welsh in-hand champion Rosedale Yellow Rose (Langweth Despacio), while the reserve champion - Clare Lynch’s Lady Roxy (Nordy Razmatazz) - won the part-bred Welsh class.

Laughing all the way to the Longford Connemara title: Mike Keane’s Seafield Turnog Mossy \ Susan Finnerty

Longford equine section’s fourth ring held nicely-supported Connemara classes, with several exhibitors doubling up their weekend after the North East Connemara Breeders’ show in Slane the previous day.

Here, Philip Mogan’s champion was Seafield Turnog Mossy (Drumbad Fletcher Moss), owned by Mike and Jennifer Keane, from Loughrea. Unshown last year, the two-year-old home-bred was reserve champion at the Cork Area IPS Show, followed up by a win at Newmarket-on-Fergus and has future outings at Roundstone and Clifden pencilled in his diary.

“He is out of Furbo Primrose, an Atlantic Tiger mare and personality-wise, he is super kind for a colt,” added Jennifer.

The equally placid Ardsbeg Spirit took reserve. “AKA Teddy!” said his Roscommon owner Nicola Crosby, whose daughters Robyn and Zara share another versatile native-bred. As well as having qualified at Forth Mountain for the Dublin ridden Connemara class, he’s the ultimate family pony. “He’s a happy pony, loves smiling for photos and big hugs. As a sideline, he competes in family pony lead rein and fancy dress classes with Zara.”

Longford passed two of any event’s key essentials of ‘greeting and seating’, with a friendly team at the gate and rows of families and spectators seated at the ringside benches.

A real country show, the now ubiquitous musical entertainment brought out the crowds. Between jiving competitions and a now-almost rare sight of a convoy of trailers parked outside a nearby pub for a post-show debate, there was a strong social element to the day out at Longford.