IN common with many shows around the country this year, numbers were down in some of the ridden classes at last weekend’s Flavours of Fingal County Show in the grounds of Newbridge House but not so in Saturday’s racehorse to riding horse class which was the final RDS qualifier for 2023.

Alerted to the fact that over 20 thoroughbreds could be seen in, or heading towards, the warm-up area beside the showing rings, conformation judge George O’Malley, who was paying his first visit to this show, and Louise Duffy (ride) decided to split the class with even numbers being exhibited first then the uneven numbers.

They judged all horses forward for ride and conformation in both divisions, placed them as one would in any showing class and then recalled the top four from both for a ‘championship’. This was judged as a separate class but the horses weren’t ridden again. The horses then formed a final line-up which was headed, to little surprise, by Kate Harrington’s Sizing John. The British-bred Midnight Legend gelding was ridden on this occasion by Elizabeth Power to whom Joe McLoughlin presented the trophy in memory of his late wife Denise.

“I might have ridden in lead rein classes when I was a very young child, but this is my very first showing class since then,” said Power who produces Sizing John at her Co Meath yard. “I’m riding here today because Kate has gone to the Curragh. I love this horse – for me, he is the whole package. He’s got stunning conformation and movement and is the perfect model. I didn’t know what to expect coming here today as I’d never heard of this show – it’s huge and the crowds are massive!”

“I rode some very nice horses in both sections,” said Louise Duffy. “Some riders try to force a quick change of career on to these racehorses who, in the main, benefit when given time to relax and let themselves down before starting out on a showing career.”

Sizing John is a case in point as the now 13-year-old, who won two hurdles races, seven chases and was placed many times in Grade 1 company when trained by Henry de Bromhead and then Jessica Harrington, had his last outing on the track on the final day of 2019 at Punchestown.

“Also, you can’t go to every bun fight or compete in every class you’re eligible for each day. People should remember that in these racehorse to riding horse qualifiers for Dublin only one horse, the winner, will go through and that you might be better off going for a hunter or riding horse class to show what a good job you’ve actually done in re-training.”