ONE of the most talked about horses of the week on the showing side of the 2017 Dublin Horse Show was the winner of the Horse Sport Ireland young event horse class, Brookfield Cavalier Cruise.

Now carrying the prefix of his new owners, John and Chloe Perry and Alison Swinburn, the son of Cavalier Cruise is practically black which always attracts onlookers and has a wonderful outlook and love of his job which helps boost his score with the judges.

Last week those charged with assessing the event horses both out in Ring 2 on Wednesday evening and in the Main Arena the following morning were Lucinda Green, Leslie Law and Jason Webb, the last-named being well used by the organisers from the first day of the show to the last.

Brookfield Cavalier Cruise, who qualified in the mud at Scarteen, is still being produced by his former owner and rider Louise Codd but was partnered at the show by Patrick Whelan for whom this booking and win was a great pick-me-up following his elimination in the show jumping phase of the European eventing championships for young riders in Millstreet.

Bred near Thurles by Martin Ryan out of the Atlantic Cruise mare Ryans Cruise, Brookfield Cavalier Cruise led on a score of 31.92% (out of 40) after day one in Ring 2 where the changed layout seemed to go down well with riders. His nearest challengers at this stage were John Bannon’s Orestus mare Make A Move (28.33) and the Womanizer gelding Castle Howard Romeo (28.07) who was ridden by Linda Murphy for breeder Susan Fitzpatrick. This grey ended the week as champion working hunter horse.

Brookfield Cavalier Cruise had a fence down in the Main Arena on Thursday but still scored highly with the judges and he completed on a total of 85.25%. According to Brian Lusk, who brokered the sale of the gelding, the four-year-old will remain at the Codd yard for another year at least.

Moving up to second by virtue of his clear round under Daisy Duggan, which saw him gain one of the highest scores in the class from the judges in this phase, was Willows Sport Horses’ Ustinov gelding Ultran (84.38), another who competed in the workers at the end of the week when he finished second to Castle Howard Romeo.

Owner Mary Bolger and rider Jason Higgins, who won this class for the last two years, had to settle for third this time with the Sligo Candy Boy gelding Kilcannon Kandy Kid (83.63), who recorded a clear round on day two.

Only four of the five-year-olds jumped clear in the Main Arena, and they filled four of the top five placings, being interrupted by the Jonny Mulligan-partnered Randalstown Commando who finished fourth (80.27) in spite of having a fence down. The judges here weren’t as impressed with the Ricardo Z gelding as others have been this season nor were they taken with Emma Jackson’s OBOS Quality 004 gelding Carra Lux Quality who too has done well outside the confines of the RDS.

The somewhat surprising but deserving winner (87.32) was Flemingtown Ruby, another who qualified early at Scarteen. The daughter of Golden Major Magic was bred by her Ratoath owner Jody Madden out of the thoroughbred mare Gallicblaze (by Sonus). “There was a bit of interest in her at the show but, if she’s not sold, we’ll event her ourselves,” said Madden.

Higgins returned for the prize-giving ceremony again in second place, this time on board Mary Kehoe’s Omar mare Omaybe (86.88), with Fraser Duffy finishing third on Carol Gee’s Cavalier Royale mare MHS Fernhill Showtime (83.80).

The action was delayed when Emily Corbett took a heavy fall at the first fence with Smart Boy Jack.