Connemaras and draughts showcase Irish breeds on day one of Dublin Horse Show

Our native breeds were the focus of attention in yesterday’s showing programme at the Dublin Horse Show, with the performance Irish draught horses first to be judged over a course of fences that included gates and banks.

The champion, Knock Morris, was ridden for Cahir exhibitor Billy Dillon by Paul Beecher, a former winner of the Hickstead Derby. The nine-year-old stallion by Coolcronan Wood showjumps at 1.30m level and has sired a number of foals.

The reserve, Dowdstown Dancer, a five-year-old Crosstown Dancer gelding, was purchased by his Greyabbey owner Jackie Marsh as a foal from breeder James Hoare.

In the first Connemara performance hunter championship, for five- to seven-year olds, stallion Josie Jump, ridden by Jason Higgins for Kiltealy exhibitor JJ Bowe, recorded a hat-trick of victories. The grey seven-year-old, who will move to the older age grouping next year, also took part in a superb display of Connemara stallions later.

Fourteen-year-old Co Longford rider Thomas Whyte had a day to remember when he won the older Connemara performance class on Ardagh Bobby, an eight-year-old dun gelding owned and bred by the rider’s mother Bernie.

The first champion of the day was Brookfields Showdown, owned and ridden by Co Armagh exhibitor Lesley-Ann Duke, whose father Paul Horner bred the bay mare in partnership with the late Gerald Reid. Ms Duke and the eight-year-old mare finished second in the large riding horse class to Deirdre Kane’s Mighty Clever, ridden by Rosemary Connors, who didn’t behave so well in the championship.

Young north Co Dublin owners Ivan and James Ryan were delighted to see their Heartbeat land the small hunter championship under PJ Casey who found the bay Le One gelding as a three-year-old.