SHOW

Susan Finnerty

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Heavy overnight rain forced the cancellation of the lunging classes at the Newmarket-on-Fergus show. However, the first Champion Young Horse 2015 title went to Ballina exhibitor Tiernan Gill and his Cavan sales foal buy. Champion yearling at Balmoral last year, Walk In The Park picked up where he left off last October, when the Sir Shutterfly two-year-old, bred in Castleblayney by Anthony Connolly, was champion at Ballinasloe.

Standing reserve was Michael and Rachel Lyons’ Kilmastulla Newmarket Spartacus, another Billy Daly-bred champion here, as the Newmarket Stud owner also bred last year’s winner Newmarket Joy. Winner of the three-year-old gelding class, he is by the Daly’s Hanoverian stallion Newmarket Venture, sire of Rolex Kentucky prize winner Annie Clover.

Young horse class entries were on a par with last year, according to Trish Hassett, with the exception of the three-year-old filly class. Although Rebecca Monahan’s Notalot had a walkover here, the Lancelot filly had a tougher task at Tralee last Sunday, where she was the champion young horse (report next week).

The supreme pony title went to Lucy Townsley’s intermediate* Wonderful Every Day, which also successfully events with Lucy’s daughter Hannah Phillips. Bred by Suzanne Macken, the Dublin small event horse class is the plan for the Clover Brigade mare and Leaving Cert student Hannah.

Standing reserve supreme was Bronheulog Sunny Boy, Liam Ruttle’s show hunter champion. More pony champions included Claire Crawford’s homebred Ardfry Sarabi (working hunter, starter stakes) and Edwina O’Connor’s mini champion Linksbury Goldilocks, while the exotically-named miniature horse champions were Suzanne Acres’ Ballykeppogue Ultimate Confession (overall) and Elaine Melican’s Micatos Cola (Irish-bred).

Young horse judges John Roche and Melanie Horsman selected Brian Cleary’s Cougar entry as their open hunter winner. Kate McMahon’s Inis Faith (Nautilus) and Tony Purcell’s Loughmore Danny (Diamond Mine) won the small hunter and cob classes.

*Intermediate – show and working hunter classes for ponies/horses under 158cm.