WHILE those attending Saturday’s Irish Thoroughbred Breeders Association (Northern Region) awards lunch at Down Royal were lauding this year’s victors, Mossbank, who won the 2008 National Hunt award for Billy McGladdery, was taking part in the racehorse to riding horse parade where he was ridden side saddle by Chloe Thompson of Nutts Corner.

Although he still appears in the ownership of Gigginstown House Stud at major functions, the 18-year-old Kadeed gelding is lovingly cared for by Thompson’s neighbour Alistair McDonald. The pair also combine as owner and rider of the unraced Tikkanen mare Beechburn Lass who competes in thoroughbred classes, working hunter competitions and one-day events.

In late August, that 13-year-old half-sister to Send For Paddy was crowned the Horserail all-Ireland thoroughbred horse working hunter champion and, on Saturday, the multi-tasking Pamela Ballantine presented Thompson with a special award to mark this achievement.

THE OH JACKIE CUP

The Oh Jackie cup, presented to Racehorse To Riding Horse Ireland by Helen Bond for the season’s leading mare, will also be wending its way to Beechburn Lass’s connections.

Ballantine, who hardly had time to draw breath over the two days of the Festival of Racing, also presented Monasterboice’s Ruth Cody with an award in recognition of her winning this year’s Irish Thoroughbred Marketing racehorse to riding horse supreme championship on the once-raced Definite Article gelding Smokey Bay.

Also from Co Louth, Noel Callaghan received a special award as he won this summer’s Down Royal-sponsored racehorse to riding horse league on the French-bred Robin des Champs gelding Hugo de Vindecy.

Others who took part in the parade included Louise Duffy with another French-bred, the former Willie Mullins-trained multiple-graded chase winner Arvika Ligeonniere who competed in the CIC1* at Millstreet in August and Bessbrook’s Julie Donaghy Simpsom with her ITM re-training champion Shawstown, an eight-year-old Olden Times gelding who ran in three point-to-points for Sarah Dawson.

Larne’s Joanne Maybin paraded on the four-time track winner Ramsden Boy, a 17-year-old Saddlers’ Hall gelding, while Graceann Elliott rode the former Stuart Crawford-trained Adsup, a seven-year Ad Valorem gelding with whom she had such an excellent season in the show ring. Karen McKee partnered the three-time winner Windix, a French-bred grey by Linamix owned by Racehorse to Riding Horse Ireland supremo, Julie Morris.

Saddle cloths for the parade were supplied by Comfort Gut.