THE reigning riding horse champion, Lulu De Beau, is set to begin the defence of her title at the Dublin Horse Show in Ring 1 next Wednesday morning having been entered once again in the ‘small’ horse class by rider/producer Jamie Smyth.

The Harrod family’s eight-year-old British-bred mare by Don Aqui finished in front of Kamala m2s in the Dublin ring last August and that 2019 Imnotafraid Fortuna mare, who is now ridden by Shane McKenna for Mary Kinsella, also finished second to Lulu De Beau at Balmoral in May.

The Smyth/Harrod team’s entry in the ‘large’ riding horse class is their Balmoral and Royal Highland champion, the Irish Sport Horse gelding King Of Clubs II, a seven-year-old bay gelding by Riverland Roi. He could well be opposed by the Balmoral reserve, the five-year-old OBOS Quality 004 gelding Redmays Romeo who is ridden for Team Torrens by Rachel Moore.

Dermot Barlow’s six-year-old home-bred mare Golden Future (by Future Trend), who finished second in the large class here last August, recently displayed her wellbeing when reserve in the riding horse championship at the Tattersalls Ireland July show to the small class winner, Laura Barron’s five-year-old home-bred Spirit House gelding, Spider House.

The riding horse classes will be judged by Olivia Edmondson and Penny Hollings.