THERE were mixed emotions among the supporters of the mini supreme champion at the Irish Pony Society’s Kildare/North Leinster regional show at Tattersalls Ireland last Wednesday week as Holthall Gladiator’s victory came just two days after the funeral of Paddy Geoghegan, grandfather of the pony’s owner Kathy Curley and her sister Aine Geoghegan whose son, Fionn Redmond, partnered the winner.

Before coming before the final judging line-up of Britain’s Daniel Parks and Karl Morris plus Ireland’s Faith Ponsonby and Mary Moore, Redmond and Holthall Gladiator won their mini show hunter lead rein class. They then went on to claim that section’s championship where the reserve was the lead rein class second, the Johnny Massey-partnered Newoak Hot Gossip.

A 2017 gelding by Islyn Bond, Holthall Gladiator, who won both the novice and open mini show hunter championships at this year’s Northern Ireland Festival in Cavan, was purchased as a three-year-old from his breeder Katie Mander of the Holthall Stud near Birmingham. At Tattersalls, he was bringing up a double for his Co Wicklow connections who won the same championship last year with Pantycoed Mercutio.

“We love coming to this show,” said Aine Geoghegan. “They cater for everyone and are beyond helpful if you have a problem.”

The reserve supreme mini champion was the mini show pony champion Andrea Latto’s Chaseford Camelia who won both the lead rein and first ridden classes under the owner’s daughter Myai.

By Hollybush Bolero out of Chaseford Chantilly and bred in Wales by Martin Davis, Chaseford Camelia was one of a large number of ponies who were exhibited at the Tattersalls show this year by North of Ireland owners. The bay mare made a number of very successful raids on shows across the water last season and featured in these pages following her success in the novice mini championship at the British Show Pony Society’s winter championships in Arena UK.