THE first qualifier for Balmoral Show’s ‘Star of the Future’ performance horse championship, which is confined to horses bred in Ireland, was held last Saturday at The Meadows Equestrian Centre.

Judge for the series is Co Meath’s Janet Murray whose task is to assess horses’ conformation (while mounted), their movement on the flat in walk and trot, their way of going over a course of show jumps and natural cross-country type fences (no more than 16 in total) and their ability to gallop. Marks are also awarded for suitability and potential.

The first group of horses to come before Murray on Saturday were the five-year-olds where her winner was RMC Media Partnership’s Irish Sport Horse gelding Mon Ami Beauvallet (79.5 marks) who was ridden by Jonny Steele.

A son of the Anglo European Studbook-registered stallion Centre Stage, who Steele has competed at CCI4*-S level, the bay was home-bred by Fran Rowlatt McCormick out of the Mile Hill mare Mile Lass. Mon Ami Beauvallet competed six times at EI90 level last season, rounding off his campaign with a third-place finish in the Horse Sport Ireland Autumn Development Series EI90 for four-year-olds at Punchestown in October.

On the marking sheet, Murray commented that her winner had a “lovely outlook for a five-year-old”.

Also going forward to the final was the second-placed combination of Lesley Jones riding Yvonne Pearson’s Quality Choice (77.5). This chesnut ISH gelding by OBOS Quality 004 out of Ballylean Tower (by Womanizer) has yet to make his Eventing Ireland debut but he has plenty of show ring experience behind him and was third in the four and five-year-old lightweight hunter class and second in his working hunter class at the re-scheduled Balmoral Show last year when in the ownership of Emily McGowan.

Qualifying in third place with 73 marks was Ros Murphy’s Power Emperor (Victoria Clarke), a bay ISH gelding by Tara Emperor. A mix-up with the marks on the day saw Ruth Lyttle book a place in the final with her Tolan R mare, Taylorstown Timeless (70.5).

Well related

“An attractive horse with a good attitude” was how Murray described her winner of the six-to-eight-year-old class, Govalent (77.5), and this would be echoed by those who saw the well-related Valent bay compete under EI rules last season under his partner on Saturday, Rachael Thompson.

Although he didn’t manage to record a win in 2021, Lisa Rosbotham’s 2015 ISH gelding was placed on numerous occasions at EI100 and EI110 level and he rounded off his campaign with a fifth-place finish in the HSI Autumn Development Series EI110 for six-year-olds at Punchestown in October.

Govalent was bred by Rosbotham’s father Woods out of the seven-time winning thoroughbred mare Ballaney Jewel (by Roselier) whose previous produce include the 2012 and 2014 Valent siblings, Jewelent (CCI4*-L) and Cooley Rosalent (CCI3*-L).

Another active type going through in second was Lougherne After Dark (75.5) who was ridden by Hannah Blakely for Jane Allen, breeder of the ISH gelding at the Lougherne Stud, Hillsborough. The seven-year-old, who is by Antaeus out of the Limmerick mare Lougherne Gypsy, is being produced slowly by his connections and, to date, has 18 Showjumping Ireland points.

Lesley Jones qualified a second horse on the day for Yvonne Pearson when finishing third here on the ISH gelding Doublemax (72.5) who has done a small amount of registered jumping. A six-year-old by OBOS Quality 004 out of the Ghareeb mare Treasured Memories, the chesnut was working hunter champion at Balmoral last September.

Qualifiers

A qualifier for the ‘Star of the Future’ championship takes place tomorrow at Hazeldene Farm with Gransha Equestrian staging the third leg on Sunday next, March 20th. The series then moves south to Wexford Equestrian on Wednesday, March 20th with the final qualifier being held at Lusk Equestrian on Sunday, April 10th.

Three combinations will qualify at each venue and should any of the top three have already booked their tickets, the qualifying spots may go down the line. Riders, who must have attained their 16th birthday by January 1st this year, can partner two horses per class at the championship final in the Main Arena at Balmoral Show on Friday, May 13th.