LAST Saturday at Rincoola, the McGahern family hosted the final qualifying round for the Connemara and Irish Draught performance classes for next month’s Dublin Horse Show.

Those who shared the task of awarding the last of the golden tickets were Caroline Bjoerk and Maura Rooney (ridden display) and Trish Collins (jump). Clear rounds were at a premium throughout the day, but especially in the four and five-year-old Irish Draught classes, as there was only one between them.

That sole clear was recorded in Section A by Co Mayo’s Amy Grady riding The Countess Of Murrisk (234.5 points), a combination that finished third in a similar class at Balmoral in May. The 2019 Farmhill Highlander mare is owned by the rider’s grand-uncle, Michael Grady, who bred the grey out of Amber Light (by Rockrimmon Robusticus).

The honours in Section B went to Scottish native Duncan McFadyen and Tom Moran’s Monards Dark Hero (234 points), who finished fourth in Dublin last August. The five-year-old Gortfree Hero gelding, who was bred in Co Leitrim by Cyril McWeeney, is out of the Coolcronan Wood mare Crummy Dynamic Cruise.

James Rochford, who failed to qualify in Section A on the second-placed Villa Casnova (209.5), again filled the runner-up spot here, but this time snagged a ticket with Tanya Bourke’s Prospect Earl (231.5) who, too, will be making a return visit to the Dublin 4 showgrounds.

Edwina O’Connor and Ashwood Reggie won Section B of the older Performance Irish Draught class at the RDS qualifier at Rincoola \ Aisling Deverell/ Bit-Media

Co Wexford’s Edwina O’Connor was never going to be satisfied just supporting her daughter Ciara and her niece Jessica Murphy at the Ballsbridge showgrounds and finally secured her own qualifying ticket, when winning Section B of the older performance Irish Draught class on Ashwood Reggie (243 points).

The 10-year-old Keamore Diamond Clover gelding, who was bred in Co Wicklow by David Miley out of the Fast Silver mare Beara Lady, finished third in his final at Dublin last August, having earlier won the performance Irish Draught championship at Balmoral. The multi-purpose Ashwood Reggie has 226 Show Jumping Ireland points to his credit, two being earned when he and O’Connor were among those who divided the two-phase 1m class at Clonmel Agricultural Show on Sunday.

The second qualifying ticket went to Jenny Williams riding her own six-year-old Kiltybane Naldo gelding, Ballyrussell Misty. Also completing on the same score (238), but failing to qualify as they recorded a slower clear round, were Teresa Whyte and Sleehaun Silver Crest, a seven-year-old home-bred by Beechmore Silver Crest.

The Whyte family had enjoyed better luck in Section A, where Edel Whyte won on another home-bred son of the same sire, the six-year-old Sleehaun Master Mind (216 points). As this locally-based partnership was already qualified, the ticket went to the second-placed pairing of Sarah Maxwell riding Colin Barrett’s Crehelp Sliabh Pearla (212). This Mountain Pearl six-year-old was bred in Co Roscommon by Lisa Mann out of Ryehill Beauty (by The Bard).