EQUITRACE Chief Executive Officer Killian Gaffney and Rowena Parker’s eight-year-old El Capone KWPN gelding Kensington won the Botanica Advanced Medium Championship.

Gaffney, a graduate of Hartford College, trained with Carl Hester and Charlotte Dujardin as a rider during his time in England, before relocating back to Ireland. Elaine Murphy and her own Irish Sport Horse mare QT An Tánaiste proved unbeatable in the category three Botanica and Brandon Steelworks Medium championship.

Isla Coad topped the category two standings with Josephine Delahoyde’s Veenstras Grapjas dun mare Klein Roderjis Gold Fee. Iris Walshe and the six-year-old gelding Nirvana RH were the sole combination to complete in the category three Botanica and Showtime Equestrian Elementary championship.

Tracy Murphy led the way in the category two division, claiming the top prize with her eight-year-old KWPN gelding Kennedy. Evie Kennedy and Blackwoodland Breeze were the only pairing in the Botanica and Showtime Equestrian Junior Elementary championship.

The Danish warmblood mare Kokkedals feyja, ridden by Tara Oliver, topped the leaderboard in the category three Botanica and Equiere Novice championship. Orla Harrington and Fatma Fan’e Ridderdijk were unopposed in the category two standings. Charlotte Clear and Ramesses B won both category one classes on Saturday and Sunday to emerge as clear winners of the championship by a margin of over 10 percent.

The Traditional Irish Horse Association prize went to fourth placed Samantha Fitzsimons and her Cruising for Chics gelding, DS The Chic Magnet. Evie Kennedy and Maeve Kennedy’s Blackwoodland Breeze claimed first place in the Botanica and Equiere Junior Novice category two championship and they also won the Connemara Pony Society Prize for the highest-placed Connemara at the festival.

The category one win went to Cael Shanahan with Suzanne Kendrick’s Irish Sport Horse gelding Silverdyke Diamond. In the opening class of the Botanica and DSE Equestrian Preliminary category one championship, Orla Harrington and Fatma Fane’s Ridderdijk narrowly outscored Caroline Lynch and DS Bouncer by less than one percent.

However, on day two, it was Lynch and her five-year-old Irish Sport Horse Moylough Bouncer gelding that came to the fore winning the second class to claim the championship. It was even tighter on the first day of the category one championship contest, where Emma Dair and Castle Ellis Esmeralda prevailed over Claire Penny and Western Lady by just 0.5% on the collective mark, with the duo locked on equal scores.

They went head-to-head once again the next day and, this time, it was Penny who prevailed to edge out Dair for the championship with her Irish Sport Horse mare, an 11-year-old bay by the Connemara stallion, Western Boy.

Tara Oliver and Kokkedals feyja were unopposed in the category three championship section.

Maura Moore-McCune won both junior preliminary classes with Josepha Moore’s Crofs Clover to win the Botanica and DSE Equestrian championship.

Irish international para equestrian rider Heather Lemmon was the sole entry in the Botanica Para Grade II championship with Ladychapel Narnia. Maeve Deverell was the sole rider competing on two ponies in the Botanica FEI Pony championship with Derravaragh Boy taking the win.

Mille Cosgrave and Let’s Dance completed unopposed in the Botanica FEI Children championship. Ivor Harper judged the Elaine Healy Books Trailblazers classes and he had Éabha Lily Clayton and Moonlite Splash of Colour in first place on 78.33% in the under 10 walk and trot championship.

Caomihe O’Donnell and Knocknaveagh Lady Arwen completed on a 70.80% total to win the under 12 preliminary championship. The equivalent novice honours going to Rachel Westphal and Clonrosse Giselle on 68.97%.

Isabel Westphal and Clonross Rumba were the lone entry in the junior novice championship, but the same combination scored 71.80% to win the junior preliminary championship decider.