IT was a pity that the organisers decided to move the working hunter ring at last weekend’s Flavours of Fingal show at Newbridge House and Farm.
One, because it involved a bit of a trek for those on their feet and two, because, as a site, it wasn’t the most interesting, being fairly flat. With the vast amount of ground in the estate, there surely would be an area with trees and banks that could be used. Kevin McGuinness had five classes to judge but, surprisingly, no championship.
Co Longford’s Edel Whyte and her father Gerry paid their first visit to the show and marked their debut with a win in the 1m class for the Irish Draught gelding Sleehaun Master Mind. Owned and bred by Gerry, the six-year-old chesnut is by Beechmore Silver Crest out of Orlcon Star (by Star Kingdom).
“This fellow is qualified for the Irish Draught performance class at Dublin, so it’s just a matter of keeping him ticking over until then,” said rider Edel, a digital contest specialist with Horse Sport Ireland. “Dad and my sister Laura compete with him in Riding Club competitions and he’s really just a fun horse to have about the place.”
A former HSI employee, Alyssa O’Neill landed the 90cm class with Dermish Coney, on whom she won the five-year-old section of the Balmoral ‘Star of the Future’ performance horse championship in May. This chesnut mare by Lancelot was bred in Co Clare by Susan Moloney, out of the OBOS Quality 004 mare Quality Cruising. She is closely related to the former O’Neill-ridden Lancelot mare, Colacentric (CCI4*-S).
Emma Sweeney won Saturday’s 80cm class with another Lancelot-sired chesnut, the 11-year-old Killaloe Lance. Also bred in Co Clare, but this time by Rosemarie Stuart, this winner is out of the Ard VDL Douglas mare Killaloe Duchess.
Only two horses were placed in the 90cm section for small hunters, where the winner was the Abbie Walker-owned and ridden If Ever A Rogue, a 16-year-old bay gelding. Yvonne Hughes won the 70cm class with her 15-year-old skewbald gelding, Puzzle Pop.
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