IAN Stark, who took individual honours at the European three day event championships at Punchestown five years ago, was called in to deputise for David Kellow in the hunter rings yesterday.
Kellow was due to judge the lightweight hunters with Rosemary Morris, but had to withdraw after being injured in an accident, and his place was taken by the Scotsman.
Stark, who returned somewhat subdued from Atlanta after a cross country fall with his medal hope Stanwick Ghost in the team three day event, returns to the hunter rings today to adjudicate on the heavyweights with fellow British Olympian Chris Hunnable.
Not surprisingly, Stark and his co judge Rosemary Morris picked Jonah Wragg's consistent performer Cheval de Guerre as their five year old winner. The thoroughbred, which was reserve champion at Cork, was promoted to the supreme in Waterford 10 days ago and is expected to doe well in the main arena when the Dublin honours are handed out on Saturday morning, instead of the traditional Thursday date.
The Tipperary horse will face a strong challenge from the medium weight ranks, however, in both Frances Cash's six year old Conquestador and Dick McElligott's In The Mood. Cash, who has claimed three Dublin supreme titles, is confident of a good result from Conquestador, which stood reserve champion in Enniscorthy.
In The Mood is a four year old by Kildalton King and, on his only two outings in the show ring before Dublin, was champion in Mullingar and headed only by Cheval de Guerre in Waterford.
First championship honours of the show went to James King of Co Westmeath, whose home bred Corbally Magic took the two year old championship ahead of the Horace filly Brooklodge Felicity Roberts, owned by P.J. O'Mahony from Cork.