THERE’s little point in beating about the bush – the TopSpec working hunter ring on Tuesday belonged to Louise Lyons.

To start, British judges Michael Cooper (ride) and Dale Atkinson (conformation) had her top of their final line-up in the opening novice class with her own home-bred Dartans Red Mission, a five-year-old mare by Orestus out of Red Light (by Cavalier Royale). In the following restricted open, the Co Kilkenny-based racehorse trainer again claimed the red rosette, this time on Lady Perdita Blackwood’s Irish Draught gelding Clandeboye, a five-year-old by Scrapman.

Back after lunch, Lyons and Clandeboye stood top of the final line-up in the open competition, a qualifier for next year’s Royal International Horse Show. Danielle O’Sullivan stopped the Lyons rout when winning the green hunter class with the ex-racehorse No Bodder, a seven-year-old Flemensfirth gelding who failed to worry the judge in 10 outings for the Tony Mullins yard, the last being as recent as in May this year.

When it came to the championship, Lyons made the right call in sticking to Dartans Red Mission with Leah Kent coming in for the ride on Clandeboye who stood reserve. It was a hectic couple of days for Lyons as all three of her children competed in the IPS show on Wednesday. She was quick to credit Trish O’Dwyer and Katie Henriques for their help in getting horses, ponies and children ready while partner Nicky Teehan kept the racing yard going.

Other champions over the two days included Chris Carter and Damien McCormack’s wonderful Irish Draught gelding Cloonan Hector (amateur ridden champion), the Brian Murphy-ridden Goodnight Master (cob champion), Gillian Torrens’ Leave It To You (riding horse champion) and Cathy Grassick’s Kildangan Bellatrix (coloured horse champion).