After a year’s absence Carnew Show, with a modest €5 entrance fee, bounced back on the circuit again. A combination of glorious weather and exhibitors keen to keep the Wicklow show going ensured catalogues soon ran out. Gwen Hazlett and John O’Brien’s young horse champion was Jill Acton’s Dignified Van’t Zorgvliet yearling, that also won his age championship, and their reserve was Margaret Jeffares’s two-year-old OBOS Quality filly Ballykelly Eva, the last of her Salluceva dam Corrib Eva’s offspring.

Junior judge Martin Mannion had an excellent mentor in Tim Wilson for the broodmare classes. The pair were very impressed by Maeve Holohan’s Clonkelly Lucky, with the purebred Irish Draught mare by Fintan Himself, going on to be their champion, taking the Neville Lazenby memorial trophy. Derry Rothwell’s Greenhall Indicator was reserve and the Limmerick mare’s Ars Vivendi colt went one better, winning the foal championship. Reserve champion foal was Lisa Comiskey’s Financial Reward filly out of a Crosstown Dancer mare.

Amongst the happiest exhibitors were Matilda Murphy, winning her first red rosette with Dawn while Emily Sinnott brought home her first cup, presented by Junior Minister for Agriculture Andrew Doyle, after winning another of Carnew’s leadrein classes with Rose.