THERE could be no hiding the joy on the faces of Eugene Bourke and David O’Callaghan as the winners of the Connolly’s Red Mills/The Irish Field Breeder of the Year were announced on Tuesday night.

For the first time, and as the awards ceremony embarked on a second decade of these prestigious prizes, there were separate awards for the flat and National Hunt sectors. The introduction of a special category award for National Hunt was well received and the winner of the inaugural trophy was 83-year-old veterinary surgeon Eugene Bourke.