THERE wasn’t a large entry at last Sunday’s South Munster Region show in Ballindenisk, but there was a lot going on with DAFM HSI classes, classes where points were on offer for the Childeric league and it was also the regional winter championship show. Added to that were non-restricted classes, so there was something for everyone.

Down from Co Antrim, Joanne Jarden (List 1) had the task of judging the DAFM HSI classes, which were poorly supported with the largest field of three starting in the four-year-old class. Here the winner was the Katie McKeon-owned and ridden Connemara mare Galtee Honey, a grey daughter of Kinvara Boy out of the Lishmar Shadow mare Bean Uachtair.

There was a duel for honours in the five-year-old class, which Ciara Fives won on the Dutch Warmblood mare Oksana TN, who is by Poker de Mariposa TN out of Hanna TN (by Zambesi), who was out of a mare by Clinton.

Emily Kate Robinson recorded an uncontested win in the six-year-old class with the home-bred Dutch Warmblood gelding Nalissimo. By Belissimo M, the chesnut is out of the Jazz mare Vitania and is thus a half-brother to the Lingh siblings Kekepania and Largento.

The sole entry in the DAFM HSI five-year-old pony class was the Josephine Delahoyde-owned and ridden skewbald mare Lisboy Kylie.

Jarden also judged the Childeric league and championship Novice class, the BD39, where Caroline Marwood saw off three rivals when achieving the highest score of 67.31 on board the seven-year-old bay gelding Kylard Bruce, and the three-runner league and championship Medium class, the BD73, where show secretary Ana Hughes topped the scoreboard on her ISH gelding Sligo Dark Knight, a 15-year-old bay by Lancelot.

Grainne Murphy and Flamenco at Ballindenisk \ Louise O'Brien Photography

The only combination to appear before Jarden in the league and championship Prix St Georges (69.56) and Intermediate I championship (67.50) was Sue Smallman with her Dutch Warmblood gelding Gloriant H, a 13-year-old chesnut son of Uphill.

Championship classes

Joan Ahern (List 2) judged two league and championship classes. These were the five-runner Preliminary BD19, where her leaderboard was topped by Aniko Foldszin on Connemara gelding Menlo Tom Boy (70), a seven-year-old grey by Ballinaboy Tom; and the three-runner Elementary BD55, where she awarded her highest score (65.48) to Elizabeth Furney riding the ISH mare Suir Cavaletto, an 11-year-old Quiletto bay.

Three league and championship Trailblazers’ classes were judged by Meabh Hennessy (List 6), starting with the DI Introductory Test A, where both participants, Lily McLaughlin on Dinky Daisey and Nora Hennessy with Brandyhill Bobby scored 77.78. My Barbie was partnered to victory in the Under 12s’ class by Saorla O’Regan (77.65) and in the Junior class by Lara Rose O’Regan (71.90).

Three combinations appeared before Hennessy in the Introductory Test C league and championship, where her leaderboard was topped by Stephen Lyons on board Drumbrade Hill (71.67).

The South Munster Region’s first show of 2025 is scheduled to take place at Ballindenisk on Saturday, February 1st.