THE Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Racehorse to Riding Horse Ireland 2019 supreme championship was held at Iverk Show last Saturday week when well-known showing judge, Debbie Tems, took the tricoloured sash on Indian Landing.

Winner earlier in the day of the open ridden class, the Barathea gelding was bred by Churchland Stud out of the Green Desert mare Lindissima. Over seven seasons, the now 11-year-old was saddled by Tracey Collins to win six races in the colours of the late Herb Stanley.

Indian Landing last ran in November 2017 and has been campaigned in Dressage Ireland competitions since February this year by Tems; he has already competed at Novice level. The chesnut and Tems took part in the racehorse to riding horse parade at the Punchestown Festival.

The championship and open class were judged by renowned Co Wicklow show horse producer/rider Jane Bradbury (who once held a trainer’s licence) and in both instances she had Indian Landing standing ahead of the Shannon Walsh-partnered First Lieutenant. That 14-year-old Presenting gelding, who won a point-to-point, a bumper, three hurdles and three chases in the colours of Gigginstown House Stud, was trained throughout his career by Mouse Morris for whom he last ran at the 2017 Punchestown Festival.

The open class was sponsored by Aidan and Anne Marie O’Brien as was the retraining class which was won by Abbey Guiry riding the USA-bred More Kudos, a six-year-old Exchange Rate gelding who, from 22 starts, won once at Dundalk for Michael Browne.

Valerie Crean finished second with Kildoon Trix who she owned when the 2009 Fruits Of Love gelding ran five times without reaching a place for Mags Mullins. Bred by Thomas Murphy out of the Tremblant mare Rainbow Trix, Kildoon Trix was to take the season’s retraining championship with Katie McIlhatton standing reserve on the former James Lambe-trained Don’t Be Hasty, an eight-year-old by Dubai Destination.

Iverk Show also staged the final of the all-Ireland thoroughbred horse performance league (open to raced and unraced horses) which was won by Louise Lyons on Gigginstown House Stud’s Don Cossack, winner of the ITM racehorse to riding horse class at Dublin in 2018 as well as a host of races on the track.

This championship was judged by Brendan Walsh and John O’Brien and was sponsored by the Cashel Bay Connemara Pony Stud in Co Galway whose owner, Robbie Fallon, was represented on the day by Michael Harty.