CASTLE Hill Riding Club held its summer show last Sunday at the National Horse Sports Arena in Abbotstown, where show secretary Gloria Nolan described the venue as being in “tip top shape thanks to Shane (Brooks), who was around all day to help out”.

Nicola Coffey had a busy day, as she judged the showing and working hunter sections, which were both sponsored by the Horse Mad Store. Coffey found her showing champion in the riding horse class, where Lyra Solovey topped the final line-up in the hands of Cill Dara secretary, Sara Wood.

A late developing five-year-old by the Oldenburg stallion Feinrich, Lyra Solovey was only broken this year.

His three previous outings had been in lightweight hunter classes (he was weight champion at the AIRC Festival) but, advised by Mary Ann Casey, connections entered him in the riding horse class here and the bay not only made a successful debut in this company, but then went on to claim the championship, which was sponsored by Glas Equine.

“He has grown in strength and confidence since he started showing,” said Wood of Lyra Solovey, who was bred at their Redhills Stud outside Kildare by Karl and Jenny Heffernan. He is out of the dun Irish Sport Horse mare Lyra La Perla (by Crown’s Ace Of Pearl), who Jenny used to campaign with Dressage Ireland; Sunday’s champion has 23 DI points to his credit.

“Jenny rides the horse most of the time, but I sit up once or twice a week,” said Wood, who works in the accounts department at Anglesey Lodge Equine Hospital and keeps her own horse, Sunday’s RC90 working hunter class winner, Avalon Next Generation (a traditionally-bred eight-year-old gelding by Glencarrig Joe), at Redhills Stud.

“Lyra Solovey’s next appearance will be in the large riding horse class at Tatts (Saturday and Sunday, July 27th and 28th) and he has been entered in the large riding horse class at Dublin. I finished fourth on Avalon in the small riding horse class last August, but decided not to go back this year – a Dublin ribbon is hard earned and I’d hate if we didn’t do as well this year.”

The reserve showing champion on Sunday was the hunter class winner, A Heros Welcome. Ridden by Drynam’s Jill Brown, this eight-year-old Irish Draught gelding by Gortfree Lad was crowned supreme ridden horse champion at the AIRC Festival early last month.

Killcarrick’s Vikki Byrne won the cob class with her 15-year-old black gelding, Drumsligo VBM.

Working Hunter champion Joy Murray and Bee Smooth at the Castle Hill RC Show held at the National Horse Arena \ Sagittarian Photography

Joy for Bee Smooth

Meath’s Joy Murray was presented with the Ruby Cartier Trophy following her win in the working hunter championship with her lightweight cob Bee Smooth.

“It was great to jump on grass and my horse really loved it,” revealed Murray, who first won the RC70 class, ahead of Castle Hill’s Sarah Cassidy and her veteran cob Woodland Badger.

“While we won the cob championship at the Riding Club Festival for the third year in a row, I’m mainly doing workers now with Bee Smooth, as he got bored with ridden classes. This is the horse of a lifetime – a special one,” said Murray.

Cheval’s Sandra Hannigan stood reserve working hunter champion with the RC80 winner Yukon Clover, her home-bred seven-year-old mare by Namelus R; her teammate Aine Scully won the RC100 on Phaleesh Playboy; while Calliaghstown’s Mayah Sammons landed the newcomers’ 60cm class on Birchill Drama Chick.

The White’s Agri-sponsored dressage classes were judged by Castle Hill chair and List 4 judge Lindsey Ilona Brady, whose winner of the RCN was Ashbrook chair Mags Brannigan with her Connemara gelding Robe Wonder (67.9%), an 11-year-old grey by OMS Aragon. Having been thwarted in their workers’ class, Castle Hill’s Sarah Cassidy and Woodland Badger (72.68) won the RCP3, while their teammates, Sarah Quinn and MLHR Aisling, topped the leaderboard in the RCP2 on 73.33.

There were wins also for Kilrainy’s Laura Filan and Mr Bean (70%) in the walk/trot test, Cheval’s Sarah Cashin on Barbi Rio (70) in the RCP1 and Meath’s Kate Kennedy on Knight (73.12) in the RCP open.