Two shows, at opposite sides of the country but with the same strong community spirit, took place last weekend with Carnew having the better of the weekend weather on Saturday.

Carnew

Minister of State Andrew Doyle is a frequent visitor to Carnew, one of his local agricultural shows, where the broodmare championship is always keenly-contested. The winner takes the Neville Lazenby Memorial Trophy, named after the late Carnew showman, who owned the Dublin young horse champion Sultan.

James Heery is a long-time stalwart of Irish Draught classes and was delighted to win this John Butler-judged broodmare championship with his lovely, old-type mare Liskillen Princess with her rare Donovan-Uibh Fhali bloodlines and bred by Martin Collins. Her colt, ably handled by young Thomas Fisher, won the foal championship too. “He’ll go to Cavan sales and I’ll take what I get for him,” was Jimmy’s pragmatic outlook.

George Chapman won the young horse championship, where the standard was the best in several years, with his Future Trend two-year-old. Bred in Cork by Patrick O’Sullivan, Chapman spotted the Dublin-bound youngster as a foal at Limerick Show. Paddy O’Donnell’s reserve and champion filly choice was Lisa Comiskey’s Financial Reward two-year-old.

Kevin McGuinness judged the ridden horses where his champions were Alicia Devlin Byrne’s Samuel Glen’s Lad, from the lightweight hunter class. Many exhibitors were having a pre-Dublin outing, including the cob champion Paddy Sox and his Wexford town owner Tonya Fortune.

Pony champions included Daphne Earle’s Ballybrit Cashel and Aoife Wafer’s Indigo with Laura Lee Hatton having the unenviable task of judging a fancy dress class filled with mermaids, princesses, mounted Gardai and the Trump family out in force.

Giving value for money is the policy of the Carnew committee, headed up by Karl Stephens, and with admission a very reasonable €5 and catalogues priced at €3, it was a good family day out. Secretary Noelle Keogh and her team coped admirably, including the problem of entries on the day.

Louisburgh

When the weather obliges, this idyllic corner of Clew Bay coastline is God’s own country. Hit by the perfect storm of driving rain, Mayo playing against Meath and show clashes, the Louisburgh team, led by chair Tommy Bennett, dug as deep as James Horan’s team at Croke Park last Sunday to get through a long day.

Sean Ruane’s Strictly Come Bouncing and Bridget Devenney’s Clew Bay Countess (Clew Bay Bouncer), from the same Grange Bouncer lines, were the last two standing to take the supreme and reserve horse titles. Ruane’s mare, produced by Liam Lynskey, also won both the Draught title and an impressive 16-strong mare class, sponsored by the show committee and judged by Pat Hoare and Geraldine Berney.

Earlier in the day, Denis Gallagher’s VDL Orestus three-year-old and Joe Cusack’s Near Dock mare Golden Olive were the champion and reserve in the horse section, while Alan Igoe’s Fairy and Deirdre Coyne’s Barossa Camilla took home pony tricolours.

Patrick and Audrey O’Donnell won the Connemara championship with their Crusheen Bettyspark Lady, spotted as a foal by Audrey and bought from breeder Val Noone. With Audrey at home with new arrival Clodagh and two-year-old William, Patrick showed the Hazy Match mare to win, ahead of Emer McNamara’s reserve champion Drumreragh Della, by Hazy Match.

Not many brides-to-be could juggle seating arrangements for their upcoming wedding and secretarial duties with a smile but Louisburgh’s Louise Arthur did all that and is set to tie the knot today (Thursday) with James Coen.

CARNEW

Broodmare: James Heery’s Liskillen Princess (Donovan). Breeder: Martin Collins

Foal: James Heery’s colt (Darragh Moylough Vision)

Young horse: George Chapman’s Future Trend three-year-old. Breeder: Patrick O’Sullivan

Filly: Lisa Comiskey’s Wathouse High Hopes (Financial Reward). Breeder: Owner

Ridden hunter: Alicia Devlin-Byrne’s Samuel Glen’s Lad (Callowfeenish Mairtin). Breeder: Eugene Roe

Cob: Tonya Fortune’s Paddy Sox

Show hunter pony: Daphne Earle’s Ballybrit Cashel (Currachmore Cashel)

Performance hunter: Aoife Wafer’s Indigo.

LOUISBURGH

Supreme horse: Sean Ruane’s Strictly Come Bouncing (Moylough Bouncer)

Irish Draught: Strictly Come Bouncing

Irish Draught foal: Pat Murphy’s by Barnaview Grosvenor’s Star

Young horse: Denis Gallagher’s Liscarrow Nico (VDL Orestus)

Connemara: Patrick & Audrey O’Donnell’s Crusheen Bettyspark Lady (Hazy Match)

Welsh: Deirdre Coyne’s Barossa Camilla

Pony: Alan Igoe’s Fairy