YOU would wonder if Liz Freeman ever sleeps. In between making batches of Christmas puddings and attending meetings, including a presentation to mark her 18 years contribution to her local GAA club Oulart-The Ballagh, she’s found time to add some more names to the list of All-Ireland three-year-old champions.

As Walter Kent, the 90-years young president of this championship’s host show, Bannow and Rathangan, mentioned last week, the final was intended as a memorial for his late son, John.

A fitting tribute, an enthusiastic show committee and surrounded by a Model County hinterland of good horses, breeders and showmen. The next part was the all-essential sponsor.

Step forward Galway Crystal and Belleek China. As James Callaghan explains, the company was attracted by the cross-border aspect of this new final.

“It was John Donaghy who made the initial contact and, after the Craft Fair in Dublin, a group of us - our main Sales Director Hugh Quinn, Derek Meldrum, Tess McElhinney, Dermot Cullen and myself - went down to the Ferrycarrig Hotel to meet the Bannow committee. There was 15 or more people in the Ferrycarrig: Eddie White and Paddy Murphy were there too, as well as Walter. We agreed to sponsor the final that first year and it just snowballed from there.

“Belleek China is a northern product, Galway Crystal in the south, so the company suited the cross-border initiative of the Bannow final.”

And a successful cross-border venture it was. It soon becoming a tradition for northern exhibitors to stay in nearby Kilmore Quay the night before Bannow and Rathangan Show, for the legendary pre-show gathering and singsong in the local pub.

Now semi-retired from his sales role, James is always present at Bannow and the Clifden Pony Show. “I really enjoyed the craic going down for the final, I went mackerel fishing one year on the Wednesday and then meeting some of the finalists that night.”

From the all-important sponsor’s perspective, what has kept Galway Crystal/Belleek China as the long-standing sponsor?

“They’re a great bunch of people to work with, for starters. Liz Freeman and Anne White were two more we worked with and it’s their attention to detail: the signage, the display of prizes in the ring, the company name announced all during the show and final, the publicity afterwards in the papers. That’s why.”

Sportsman Code

Included in the Irish Shows Association range of All-Ireland finals and Horse Sport Ireland’s showing championship series, the reigning Bannow champion is veteran Dromara showman Dessie Gibson’s Sort Code.

Ballivor Show’s Hazel Bye bred him, not the first winner bred by the Meath family. And there’s another Walter connection, as she fills in the backstory of one of the greatest Irish-bred show jumpers, Sportsman.

“Horses have always been in my blood, from an early age. My father Walter Bye kept thoroughbred and half-bred mares.

“In his time, he produced a number of good thoroughbred mares and crossed these with both Irish Draught and thoroughbred stallions. The most notable was Sportsman, by the great sire Chou Chin Chow, who was standing with Jack Flood at Boardsmill Stud.”

Hazel carries on the sport horse breeding tradition. “Sort Code’s dam is by Coevers Diamond Boy, going back to Political Merger. I like to have a mare with a percentage of thoroughbred blood to help keep that part in the bloodline, though it is very important to me that the dam is easy to handle and has a gentle or soft nature, with the hope she will pass this on in the breed.”

She had originally intended to cover Coevers Silver Lady with a thoroughbred stallion, “but when I went up to Drumhowan Stud, I saw Cormint and thought he would suit my mare. I had Clare Carey produce the foal for Cavan’s November Sale in 2020 and he looked a picture on the day. He was purchased by Dessie Gibson, which I was delighted with and Dessie did a great job showing him for the 2023 showing season. The dam has produced a number of foals and is back in foal to Cormint.”

David Alcorn showed Sort Code at Bannow for his Dromara owner, who notched up yet another All-Ireland win.

“It’s nice to see them going on to do something under saddle once they’ve finished with us,” Dessie said and Sort Code has some famous Bannow graduates to emulate.

Five-star

These include The Deputy, a full-brother to Gibson’s successful show mare Country Times.

Two top-10 Burghley places from his half-dozen five-star starts with New Zealand’s Jonelle Price were recorded by The Deputy, George Chapman’s 2005 winner.

Shown for him at Bannow by the late Billy Connors, The Deputy was bred in Gorey by Jimmy Maguire and was by the thoroughbred Cult Hero out of the Hanoverian mare Catania.

Another five-star horse was Killossery Jupiter Rising, bred by June Atkinson. One of Master Imp’s three Bannow champions, the 2008 champion was out of the Laughton’s Flight mare Sesheta Flight.

“A gentleman called Pa Noonan, in Conna, bought him as a foal from June, and I bought him as a two-year-old from Pa. He was champion ridden horse as a four-year-old in Belgooly, Cork and Skibereen, was second in the RDS and I produced him to two-star,” recalled his rider-owner Bridget MacAuley.

“He scored an 18.5 double clear in Ballindenisk with Ciaran Glynn and was lying sixth when the WBFSH world championships were abandoned due to weather in Le Lion in 2011. He was a horse of a lifetime and I learned more from him than he did from me. I called him Jupiter Rising because he was so handsome he was out of this world!”

Long-listed for the Rio Olympics, a career-ending injury halted Killossery Jupiter Rising’s ascent, however, Bridget has high hopes for his three-parts sister.

“I bought Sesheta Flight and bred his three-parts sister Zena Rising, by Golden Master, who I event. She was second in her first two-star this summer in Ballindenisk.”

What does she remember about their Bannow win? “I was in Killeagh at the time and it was the year they just ran the three-year-old final on its own [after bad weather caused the show’s cancellation]. I worked in the hospital until 5am, went home, plaited, loaded the horse at 6am and was in Bannow for 9.30am.”

“It was a great day and the committee always do such a wonderful job. My trophy is pride of place on my dresser, alongside the picture of us that day. Long may it continue,” added Bridget.

Keeping track

Another champion to go eventing was the 2004 winner, Laura’s Ghareeb. Incidentally, the flashy Ghareeb chesnut was bred by Waterford dairy farmer Richard Drohan, who won the eventing section this year of The Irish Field Breeders’ Championship at Dublin with Golden Moments and her News Anchor colt.

Sold as a yearling to winning owner Jay Bowe, Laura’s Ghareeb also won his lightweight class at Dublin later that summer and evented up to three-star with German rider Anna Warnecke, a good customer of Bowe-breds.

Kildalton Gold features as the damsire of both Laura’s Ghareeb and Seamus Lehane’s champion Ballard Eagle.

Bred by Denis Collins and out of Carrigroe Princess, this Master Imp gelding was Richard Iggulden and the late Frances Cash’s choice in 2011. Seamus had the opportunity to judge the Bannow final two years later with his show jumping legend Con Power. “It was an absolute honour to judge with him, very special.”

Ballard Eagle, the young horse champion at Dublin the previous year, returned after Bannow to place second in the lightweight gelding class. Sold privately shortly afterwards to a Northern Ireland customer, he, like some horses, fell off the radar.

The Orestus-sired Bullseye, owned by another Corkman, John Tynan, and bred near Nenagh by Michael Hogan, has proved easier to track. Based in Scotland with Cheryl McVay, the 2018 champion has so far qualified on three occasions for the Horse of the Year Show.

Kilmastulla Newmarket Knight is another in the ridden hunter ribbons.

Consistent winner

“He was second in the Red Mills final this year with David Kenna riding him and fifth in Dublin in a big lightweight class. He’s been a consistent winner for David in the amateurs all season, unbeaten all summer and finished second overall at the Showing Ireland awards recently,” said Jennifer Kennedy.

‘Solomon’ has a home for life with his Wicklow owner. “He’s mine but David rides him the most, I pinch him for ladies classes!”

Bred by Scarteen Stud’s Brian Daly and by their in-house stallion Newmarket Venture out of a Presenting dam, Kilmastulla Newmarket Knight was Michael and Rachel Lyons’ first winner, after owning and producing several other Bannow finalists and winners.

Michael led both of Daphne Tierney’s Watermill Swatch champions - Bloomfield Waterside (2017) and Bloomfield Watergate (2022).

“I’m fortunate and privileged to have won this special and spectacular final three times, but the real credit goes to Walter Kent and the tremendous team at Bannow. Their final has captured the admiration of all,” commented Michael.

His 2022 winning charge - ‘Percy’ as he’s known - could well follow the eventing route. Brendan Furlong, his current owner, reports that the stateside Bloomfield Watergate has already had his first cross-country schooling sessions with none other than Pan-American individual gold medallist Caroline Pamukcu.

That’s just a snapshot of some of the two-dozen winners to date. Next July marks the silver anniversary of Walter Kent’s idea… It promises to be another exceptional day.

What They Said

“Liz Freeman would organise a government, not to mind the show. She was, still is, brilliant.” Bridget MacAuley.

“A lot of work goes in to the final and I have been doing it for 25 years, no more than goes into the show really. The lads do a fantastic job on show day in the ring: Walter [Kent], Eamon Furlong, Pat White, Francis Somers and the late Larry Fanning. We now have young Walter [the show president’s grandson].” Liz Freeman.

“Nobody goes home empty-handed, every competitor gets a prize.” Jim Callaghan.

“It remains the most unique in-hand final in the world. Nothing equals it …stop at the bottom corner and move up the long side [of the ring], no place to hide. It’s the ultimate test of a horse in-hand.” Michael Lyons.

“When he was a foal and we got him home, I said, ‘Did we hit the target with this fella?’ And John said, ‘That’s his new name, Bullseye!” Dora Tyner.

“Oh my God, it’s the leading one, it’s like a young fellow playing in Croke Park to get to the Bannow final! A very tough one to win, but those finals are absolutely special.” Seamus Lehane.

Did You Know