Even the weather men got it right for Ladies' Day

There were all kinds of experts at the Kerrygold Horse Show in Dublin yesterday: horse experts, fashion experts and weather experts…

There were all kinds of experts at the Kerrygold Horse Show in Dublin yesterday: horse experts, fashion experts and weather experts who were predicting that Ladies' Day would not be rained on.

As it turned out the weather experts were correct and with a healthy attendance, there was a buzz around the grounds which was absent on opening day which was badly hit by the bus dispute.

The top prize on offer for Ladies' Day was a red Seat Leon car and there was a large entry for the event, over 400 competitors in all.

They were strutting their stuff from very early in the day trying to catch the eyes of the fashion experts, the judges, Celia Larkin, Louis Copeland, Gavin Lambe-Murphy, and Gayle Killilea.

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They eventually decided that a 19-year old Dundrum, Co Dublin woman, Ms Katie Duckenfield, who wore a black strapless dress with a floral detail and a big floral hat, was the winner.

The runner-up was Ms Karen Higgins, Blackrock, Co Dublin, who won £1,000 and the £500 third prize went to Ms Derval O'Connell, Mount Street, Dublin. The best dressed man was adjudged to be Mr Brian Kennedy from Dublin 4.

Ms Ruth Kelly-Walsh was the winner of the special prize of £150 for the "Most Creative Hat". Ruth's creation was made up of waste materials which can damage the environment.

Meanwhile, a horse expert at the show warned that the Irish horse is in danger of losing its identity because of an over reliance on continental animals for breeding.

The chairman of the IFA's national horse committee, Mr Tommy Brennan, said there was a danger that the Irish horse's distinctive traits were being bred out by over use of continental animals.

Mr Brennan said that we must maintain our traditional approach of using quality thoroughbreds and the Irish draught mare or their progeny.

"We need to use our better thoroughbred horses much more and must get this message across to breeders," said Mr Brennan.

He called for greater direction from the Horse Board in this area and said the board needs to combine with Teagasc in an initiative to improve breeding through a national programme of seminars and training courses for farmers and breeders.

"While there is a place for continental-bred horses, traditional Irish-bred animals have included some of our best showjumpers in the world, as well as being suitable for the fast growing leisure market," he said.