THE number of horses who actually competed in Sunday’s EquiAG working hunter section seemed to be down on Sunday. This was no bad thing as Richard Mills, on his first official visit to the Dublin Horse Show, had to assess the four classes on his own as his fellow judge had to bow out through illness.

Throughout the day, clears over the Kevin Millman-designed tracks were at a premium with two horses being eliminated in the opening four-year-old class. Although there were only five places advertised, seven horses were recalled for the ride and conformation phases where the early lead, on 57 points, was held by the Linda Byrne-partnered Castle Howard Romeo, who had finished seventh in his young event horse class on Thursday.

Susan Fitzpatrick’s home-bred Womanizer gelding received the joint second-best score of 15 (out of 20) for his conformation but topped Mills’s figures when it came to ride (18 out of 20) and completed on a total of 90 points. The grey is out of the Cavalier Royale mare Creagh Diamond Cavalier whose previous produce include the good show jumping mare Naughty By Nature (by Aldato).

Daisy Duggan finished second with Willows Sport Horses’ Ultan, who had filled the same position following his round in the Main Arena in Thursday’s young event horse class. The bay gelding by Ustinov was bred in Co Armagh by Tom and Linda Magee out of their Swedish-bred Irco Mena mare Nellie.

Being a year or two older, horses in the five and six-year-old lightweight class had their supporters among the crowd and a moan went up when one of the pre-competition favourites, EMS Richaels Pet, knocked the first fence. The Loch Cruise mare otherwise put in a foot-perfect round which saw her complete that phase on a score of 46 points.

The grey was lying in third place at that stage, immediately behind the Laura Kelly-owned, bred and ridden HL Marley And Me (47), a six-year-old Kings Master gelding, and 10 points behind Ashley O’Sullivan’s Loughmogue Miracle Star who had put in a clear round under Michael Moran.

HL Marley And Me lost some ground in the second phase, when receiving 14 points for conformation and 16 for ride, so Kelly had to settle for eventual third on 77. Meanwhile, EMS Richaels Pet, who was ridden by Lesley Webb while owner Emily McGowan recovers from injury, was awarded 17 points for conformation and 18 for ride which saw her move up to second on a total of 81.

WONDERFUL WEEK

Loughmogue Miracle Star also received 18 points for ride but with just 12 for conformation the gap between the pair was reduced, the five-year-old OBOS Quality gelding ending the day on 86 points. Supported by The Irish Field’s Leanne O’Sullivan, who did the plaiting and grooming, Loughmogue Miracle Star was bred in Co Wicklow by Robert Storey and is out of the Minstrel Bouncer mare Ballinabarney Mandy (see more on A76).

We have to give special mention in this class to veterinary surgeon Terry Smith who put many of the younger riders to shame with his round on the five-year-old Valent gelding Millburren Diamond with whom he is competing in the TopSpec EI90 amateur class at Maddybenny today.

A wonderful week for the Kirby family from Birdhill was finished off in style when Derg Masterpiece won the class for lightweights aged seven to 10. The 2010 Lancelot mare, who was home-bred by rider Aideen Kirby and her husband Owen, won the class ahead of another favourite with showgoers, Cheryl Cusack’s 10-year-old Ricardo Z gelding Whitfield Jack Of Hearts who was ridden by Louise Lyons.

There were just six starters in the older medium/heavyweight class, most of whom scored poorly for conformation, including the winner Pat Sheahan’s nine-year-old Harlequin du Carel gelding LVS Buzz Lightyear. The chesnut was bred in Dungarvan by Noreen Harty out of the Cruising mare Carrigeen Princess.

A regular in these classes, Paul Beecher took second with his father Tim’s seven-year-old home-bred Castlelane Royale gelding Loughnatousa Deno.

Just working on his own, it didn’t take Mills long to decide on his champion and that was the four-year-old winner Castle Howard Romeo with Loughmogue Miracle Star, who will be aimed at a pre-novice event shortly, standing reserve.

As usual, I’m indebted to my friends in Copperfield Riding Club who kept a close eye on every round in this working hunter section as I headed off every now and again to watch other classes.