Flowers and towers wow judges as ladies vie for best-dressed

With a woman tottering around wearing an Eiffel Tower on her head, it could only mean Ladies' Day at the Discover Ireland Dublin Horse Show. Sophie Shannon from Monkstown, Co Dublin, had added her own touch to the exotic headgear by carefully placing a Smurf figurine halfway up the structure.

Fashion truly went to the ladies' heads at the Blossom Hill Ladies' Day competition. Stacey Caldwell from Banbridge, Co Down, had rescued a 1950s swimming hat from a charity shop, added a few flowers and, hey presto, she won the highly commended prize in the competition. Moments earlier, her mother Angela had ascended the stage to claim the prize for the most colourful outfit.

And it was Betty Edwards’s floral hat that caught the judges’ eye, making her one of the top 10 best-dressed ladies. The 92-year-old from Terenure bought the hat for her son Ivor’s confirmation 63 years ago. “I thought I’d be pretty in pink,” she said.

Suzanne O’Brien from Adare, Co Limerick, trumped them all by taking the prize for the most creative hat, a replica of the iconic RDS clock tower, complete with a ticking clock. “I have competed here for about the last 20 years in the show rings and win, lose or draw, my mother always makes us get our photograph taken on our horses in front of the clock tower,” she said. She designed the hat and her father Tim looked after the construction.

But it was Annmarie Blennerhasset's day. There were whoops of delight when the Dublin-based accountant was named Best Dressed Lady for her pale-green vintage dress and cream and green Carol Kennelly hat. Originally from Tralee, she bought the dress for $95 online more than a year ago. "I haven't had a chance to wear it because I had a little boy two months ago," she said. "This is one of my first big days out, to be honest."

She was aiming for the Grace Kelly look and succeeded. Ms Blennerhasset got engaged to her husband Jonathan in New York, so her prize of a trip for two to the city will be a journey down memory lane. “We haven’t been away in years.”

The contest was judged by Sky news presenter Rachel Wyse and Love/ Hate actor Susan Loughnane. The latter was besieged by fans of the gangland drama. To their disappointment there was no sign of her onscreen associate, the violent criminal Nidge. But had he started a shoot-out on the band lawn he would probably have been felled by a fascinator or struck on the head with a well-aimed stiletto. Everyone knows you cross these best-dressed ladies at your peril.