SHOW dates coinciding with special occasions are a theme this summer, with the upcoming Athlone Show (Sunday, June 16th) taking place on Father’s Day.

No ‘taking dad out to lunch’ usual option for the father and daughter team of P.J. and Melissa Glynn, who instead will have a busy day in command at the midlands show.

P.J. took on the role of show chairman, while Melissa is the secretary of their booming equine section for the second year.

General show secretary Oliver Flanagan is also in charge of the poultry section and was a big winner in the Egg section at Balmoral Show recently.

Athlone was the lucky qualifier venue last June for Bridget Devaney’s Emme and her Hardrock Z colt foal, shown by Des and Paul McDonnell. This combination went on to win the show jumping section of The Irish Field Breeders’ Championship at Dublin Horse Show.

In addition to the Breeders’ Championship places, more Dublin qualifier opportunities include the intermediate and side-saddle classes, plus the Racehorse to Riding Horse showcase.

Local trainer Tom Cleary, who is himself running in the local elections, has always been a great supporter of the racehorse to riding horse classes at Athlone. Before the local elections finish post, another deadline looms as the Athlone entries close next Tuesday, June 4th.

Tom Cleary was amongst the sponsors to receive appreciation awards at the show launch, when a special presentation was also made to the local show jumping talent that is James Derwin.

Just 15, he has already notched up three European pony championship gold medals aboard the brilliant Rincoola Babóg, bred by the late Harold McGahern, and the pair has successfully represented Ireland abroad on 19 occasions to date.

Another appreciation award made that night was to local landowner Michael O’Donohoe. Longtime Athlone exhibitors, competitors and spectators will remember one of the original show sites down by the River Shannon, near the town centre. Since then, the show has moved to various sites and now, thanks to Michael’s generosity in providing its expansive 40-acre site, takes place at Garnafailagh.

Just on the town outskirts (N37V252), the area also provides plenty of scope for those Father’s Day picnics.

Tables Turned: US Olympic team vet Brendan Furlong with a gift for Bannow and Rathangan chairman Walter Kenty at last year’s show \ Susan Finnerty

Bannow and Rathangan

It’s a well-known fact that the south-east population downs tools and heads to Killag on the second Thursday in July for Bannow and Rathangan Show. And there’s even more reason to join the throngs on July 11th this year, as the show celebrates the 25th anniversary of its All-Ireland three-year-old championship.

Another important milestone is Pettits SuperValu 40 years-long support of Bannow’s popular show jumping classes. The chain was started off in 1946 by Jackie Pettitt, who introduced mobile shops and Wexford’s first self-service supermarket and that commitment to the county continues with their sponsorship of the Bannow and Rathangan leg of the Gain/Alltech Grand Prix series.

Another Wexford success story is, of course, the Allen family. Bertram and Harry are amongst a long list of international show jumpers, who started on the Model County show jumping circuit and the five and six-year-olds show jumping championship runs under their Aloga Auction banner.

Bannow and Rathangan offers a wide range of showing, working hunter and dressage classes too and the showing centrepiece is the All-Ireland three-year-old championship.

It started as a North-South peace initiative with the long-term backing of Galway Crystal/Belleek China and, for years, finalists gathered the night before in Kilmore Quay for the traditional singsong and banter.

Once the flag is raised the following afternoon though, the competition is intense and the final, open to all three-year-old types, is regarded as one of the most hard-fought and prestigious titles to win.

The final, also supported by Horse Sport Ireland and the Irish Shows Association, has yielded a high proportion of five-star eventers from its champions, such as George Chapman’s The Deputy and Bridget McAuley’s Killossery Jupiter Rising, competed by Jonelle Price (NZL) and Ciaran Glynn (IRL) respectively.

Another Bannow theme is renowned Wexford horsemen amongst the list of All-Ireland judges, such as Army Equita.tion School legend Con Power, Garryrichard Stud’s Denis Hickey (breeder of GRS Lady Amaro) and, last year, the five-time US Olympic team vet Brendan Furlong.

To coincide with this year’s silver anniversary, a special presentation ceremony and reunion of past winning owners will take place too. With show president Walter Kent, chairperson Betty Stafford and secretary Liz Freeman spearheading the planning, it promises to be a ‘making more memories’ occasion.

The advice for spectators is to claim one of the straw bale seats around the main ring early for this showpiece.

Ringside Hero: The popular West Mayo TD Michael Ring will officially open Clarecastle Show this year \ Susan Finnerty

Clarecastle

Sunday, August 11th ,doubles both as the date for the Paris Summer Olympics closing ceremony and this year’s Clarecastle Show.

Started in 2016, the Banner County event quickly became one of the country’s premier shows with its chairman Michael Slattery’s vision stamped throughout the day’s programme.

For example, seeing the downsize in young horse class entries, they were replaced by direct championships for sport horse, traditional-breds and Irish Draughts, followed by the overall Brian Boru young horse finale.

Similarly, with Slattery’s ‘giving back to the breeder’ aim, the equally lucrative Banner Broodmare championship includes a free draw for 20 stallion nominations, generously provided by owners nationwide.

A new addition last year was the Shannon Connemara in-hand and ridden section, with its handsome prize fund.

Clarecastle, supported by Horse Sport Ireland and the Irish Shows Association (ISA), also hosts the ISA’s All-Ireland colt foal final and a range of IPS classes at this year’s new site.

After a waterlogged winter, the committee proactively decided to move to a new 20-acre site at Claremount, just one kilometre from Clarecastle. The land is owned by longtime show stalwart, Pat Quinn of Claremount House.

This year’s show will be officially opened by Michael Ring, TD who, during his tenure as Minister for Rural and Community Development, was the driving force for the country’s agricultural shows receiving significant funding.

The 2024 Clarecastle Medal recipients will join a distinguished roll call that already includes ‘the voice and pen of Irish equestrianism’ Michael Slavin; two stalwarts of the Irish sport horse breeding world in Slyguff Stud’s Frances Hatton and Colin Diamond’s breeder Valerie Thorington and a posthumous award for the late SJI course builder Ivan McDonagh, another entwined in the backstory of Heidi Hauri’s Los Angeles Olympics bronze medal-winning mare Jessica VI.

Several former ISA presidents including Paddy Joe Foy, Michael Hughes, David Sheehan and, most poignantly, Dorothea Lazenby, the ‘First Lady’ president of the ISA, who passed away last week, are more recipients.

Completing the line-up is the show chairman himself, who was caught off-guard last year with the ninth Clarecastle Medal presented by family and friends.

Slattery’s flair and finishing touches at Clarecastle are legendary. Irish Wolfhounds to the ‘Boyne Valley blacksmith’ Tom King, wielding a replica of the actual Brian Boru sword, are some of the backdrop sightings during championship prizegivings.

Another innovation is the show’s no admission charge designed to encourage spectators and families to spend their Sunday at a show.