ON the equine front, ongoing heavy rainfall in southern Germany and Switzerland caused the evacuation of 2018 world show jumping champion Simone Blum’s flooded stables and the cancellation of the Nations Cup competition in St. Gallen.

Whether St. Grellan, Ballinasloe’s patron saint, held more sway than his Swiss counterpart or last Saturday’s sunshine was just good fortune is debatable. Either way, the revived Galway branch of the Irish Draught Horse Breeders Association (IDHBA) enjoyed Mediterranean-style weather for its first show, held in the town’s Showgrounds.

After ‘taking the temperature’ at several shows this year, several patterns and trends are evident. Following a wet winter, show sites with facilities such as all-weather arenas and hardcore parking, have an advantage for exhibitors and native breed classes - Connemaras and Irish Draughts - are by far the best-supported to date.

The benefit of owning a versatile, low-maintenance Irish Draught was summed up by Chris Carter, after Cloonan Hector finished his day as supreme ridden champion.

“He is a horse of a lifetime for me, I trust him with my life. He can be left off for a week, then pulled in, washed, plaited and off to a show. How many horses can you say that about?

“In fact, it was the first time I had sat on him since the previous show [the IDHBA Kildare branch show]. Myself and Damien McCormack, my husband, have owned Cloonan Hector since he was four.

“We’ve done everything: dressage, Riding Club, eventing, showing, performance and Hector does side-saddle with Zohra (Smyth),” said Navan-based Carter, who has qualified the 12-year-old Clew Bay Bouncer grey, bred by Tom Fitzgerald, for the amateur and heavyweight hunter classes at the Royal International.

Fresh face

Similarly, reserve supreme ridden champion - the Gortfree Hero stallion Drynam Hero - is another advertisement for the versatile Draught breed.

“‘Bradley’ is still doing Bob proud,” said Laura Snow, who won an Irish Draught performance class at Dublin in 2022. Watching ringside that day was the horse’s 100-year-old joint-breeder-owner Robert ‘Bob’ Hare, who passed away last December.

“He had a win last week at Punchestown in the 1m performance class at the Kildare branch show. The plan is to do a few Draught shows and workers and hopefully aim for Dublin again.”

Snow is also scouting for “somewhere to stand him, as we really want to breed from him next year. I can’t wait for foals by him,” she added about her ridden reserve supreme, who won the earlier performance championship too.

The performance champion reserve was Patricia Molloy’s four-year-old Cotterstown Dancer (Killountain Cross x Coille Mor Hill), bought as a foal from his breeder Cornelius Hayes.

“He has hunted with the Tipperary Foxhounds, won the four/five-year-old class at the Show of the East, the Irish Draught one-day event in Stradbally and the 80cm working hunter in Punchestown last week,” said a delighted Patricia, from Windgap in south-west Kilkenny, another aiming at the upcoming Dublin performance Draught qualifiers.

Earlier on, Grace Maxwell Murphy and William McMahon’s Gleann Rua For Love (Cappa Amadeus x Castana) stood champion in the ridden Draught section, judged by Victoria Teuton and Ben Cousins. The 2023 Draught mare champion at Dublin was bred by Noel Sheridan.

With the performance classes still to be run before the ridden supreme, the couple made the sensible decision to return home with an ice-cream stop en route for their three children.

On a sweltering day, the height of praise was rightly heaped on ride judge, Cousins. A welcome fresh face on the judging circuit, he faced a five and a half hour drive home to Co Down after his long day, but each horse was beautifully-ridden.

Well Done: Ben Cousins came in for many plaudits from the ridden horse exhibitors at the IDHBA Galway show \ Susan Finnerty

Spotted ringside

While the demand for ridden Draughts has soared, the start of the supply chain is equally important. Clare Oakes and George Chapman found their foal champion in Crannaghmore Lucky Dip (Moylough Legacy). A half-sister to last year’s Dublin stallion champion Edenagor Star, she is owned by P.J. and Majella Glynn, who took time off from organising next Sunday’s Athlone Show.

Taking a day off from organising Athlone Show were PJ and Majella Glynn with their champion foal, Crannaghmore Lucky Dip \ Susan Finnerty

The reserve champion foal was Jimmy Noone’s Tors Gentleman Farmer colt, whose dam Crusheen Breeze (Coolcronan Wood x Fast Silver) stood mare champion.

Marcus Donnellan’s Miss Suileen Bouncer (Moylough Bouncer x Coolcronan Wood) was the reserve champion mare. The father and daughter team claimed the youngstock title too with this mare’s yearling three-parts sister Suileen Cool Bouncer (DS Ballagh Bouncer).

Marcus and Emma Donnellan with their young stock champion, Suileen Cool Bouncer watched on by Peter McHugh and Michael and Madge Casey in the background \ Susan Finnerty

Glenn Knipe and Michael Keane’s reserve youngstock champion was David O’Toole’s two-year-old filly winner: Lady Willow Breeze (Inisfree The Holy Grail x Cappa Cochise).

The four in-hand judges then combined to select their overall in-hand champion, opting for Claregalway owner Jimmy Noone’s Crusheen Breeze as champion and Suileen Cool Bouncer as reserve.

Bred by Jeremiah O’Donoghue, the 17-year-old Crusheen Breeze had a lucrative day at the show, having also won the DAFM 60/40 combination class with her reserve champion foal.

Cool As A (Crusheen) Breeze: Brian Noone and the in-hand supreme and mare champion, owned by his father Jimmy \ Susan Finnerty

IDHBA chairman Robert Draper was amongst the spectators, as was the Irish Draught doyenne Eileen Brennan and Matthew O’Meara, this year’s IDHBA Contribution to the Breed award recipient.

One ringside snap of interested onlookers Ballinamore Bridge Stud owner Martin Shaughnessy, Mayoman Peter McHugh and Mohill’s Michael and Madge Casey spoke volumes about the longevity of the breed’s staunch supporters. Changing markets, climate change - they’ve seen and weathered it all.

Mug Of Tea/Read The Field: Moate Show’s Pairic McNeill clocks off from his PA duty to head home \ Susan Finnerty