THE breed championship for the Eddie Fowler memorial trophy has become one of the highlights of the Horse Sport Ireland showing programme at the AIRC Festival and two very contrasting sorts stood champion and reserve in the Mullingar Equestrian Centre last Sunday.

The first class to come before the judges was that for thoroughbreds and here the champion and reserve from Saturday’s riding horse division, Anvil’s Vanity Flare (Aileen Dwyer) and Tara Hill’s Bobby Cool (Miia Ruuskanen), occupied the top two placings in the final line-up.

Next into Ring 3 were the traditional Irish cobs where Annaharvey’s Vikki Jenkins claimed the win on board the 16-year-old skewbald Mr Woo ahead of Moyglare’s Catriona Harrison with her 10-year-old piebald mare One In A Million who improved a place from the corresponding class last June.

The Headfort club recorded some excellent results over the two days and here member Marie Helene Finegan won the Irish Draught class with her four-year-old Cloneyhea Spellbound mare Ballyglass Morning Spirit. The grey was bred in Co Mayo by Mary Cogan out of Ballyglass Blue Dolly (by Windgap Blue).

Last into the ring were the Connemaras where the red rosette was presented to Galway West’s Ciara Connolly on board Melody’s Moment who recorded other placings over the two days. The 15-year-old grey mare by I Love You Melody was bred by John Tierney out of the Slisneoir mare Tegan.

Having won all before them on Saturday (see opposite page), Dwyer and Vanity Flare were bidding for a clean sweep in the breed championship but the Anvil representatives had to settle for second behind Jenkins and the eye-catching Mr Woo. On Saturday they had finished second to Burren’s Joanne Flaherty and her 12-year-old piebald gelding Reigning Cats And Cobs in the ‘smaller’ coloured horse class.

An equine sports massage therapist living in Ballycumber, Co Offaly, Jenkins spent the first 15 years of her life living in west Cork before moving to England where she purchased the then three-year-old at a fair. She moved back to Ireland during Covid with Mr Woo and her dog Clifford, later fitting into the local equestrian scene by hunting with the Shannonside Hunt and hacking, etc.

“I only joined Annaharvey this year so to win a championship at my first Festival is amazing,” said Jenkins. “There aren’t a lot of classes for traditional cobs so a group of us are trying to get more shows to put them on. The Mullingar Show on Sunday, July 9th is going to hold a ridden class for traditional cobs which is great.”