Margie McLoone

THE popularity of the performance Irish Draught championship at the Dublin Horse Show continues to increase with more and more who have seen the qualifiers stating that they will have to buy themselves a Draught.

However, it’s not all that easy to qualify – often frustratingly difficult – and the numbers participating fell throughout the series. Fifty five horses started at the first of four qualifiers at Scarteen in early June while just 28 competed at Tullylish on July 1st when, as at Forth Mountain the previous week, there was only one section of four and five-year-olds.

Last year’s champion, Alicia Devlin Byrne’s King Flagmount, secured his ticket when third behind the already-qualified Killinick Bouncer and The Dude Draught at the Co Wexford venue. However, due to a rule which prevents winning combinations returning, the 11-year-old Welcome Flagmount gelding is being partnered by Linda Murphy.

Devlin Byrne did manage to qualify one horse when travelling north to Tullylish with Alan Brodigan’s five-year-old Shenandoah Prince Holly gelding, Prince Flagmount.

Murphy has also qualified the five-year-old stallion Gortfree Lakeside Lad who had a good warm-up recently when winning the Irish Horse Gateway ID performance qualifier at Tattersalls. The grey is produced by Gowran Hunt Horses’ Brian Murphy for owner/breeder Sean Baker who stands the horse’s sire, Gortfree Hero, in Co Mayo.

Another stallion master from the same county with a horse through is Liam Lynskey whose five-year-old Moylough Bouncer stallion DS Ballagh Bouncer qualified at Scarteen under Hannah Gordon.

Champion in 2015 with owner Ann Lambert in the saddle, the 13-year-old Grange Bouncer stallion, Killinick Bouncer, qualified at Rincoola in the hands of Sue Corish. She will also ride the grey as a member of the Carne squad competing in the final of the Horseware riding club team show jumping championship in Simmonscourt on the last day of the show.

Craughwell’s Maria McNamara qualified three horses for her father Tom – Shanbally Action Man (by Offaly Clover) at Scarteen, Shanbally Blazer (by Gentle Diamond) at Rincoola and Shanbally Jackpot (by Young Carrabawn) at Forth Mountain.

Graiguenamanagh veterinary surgeon Diarmuid Ryan has two rides in this section, Patricia Molloy’s four-year-old Fintan Himself gelding Fintan Star, who qualified at Rincoola, and Judy Quirke’s four-year-old Ballydaniel Dawn gelding Black Dawn Boy who secured his ticket at Forth Mountain.

Kiltealy exhibitor J.J. Bowe has experienced success in this section and he qualified two horses in the sole four and five-year old class at Forth Mountain, the five-year-old Ginger Holly gelding Rosscahill Lad, who was fifth in the class last year, and the year younger Casnova gelding Chesney. Both were ridden by Kirsty Richardson.

The numbers, and quality, may have been down at Tullylish but the Holycross gelding Tommie Tucker, ridden by Amy Whittle for Lyndsey Wylie, won by a massive 20-point margin. The eight-year-old chesnut gelding has also been entered in the maxi cob class.

While performance classes are all the rage these days, one noted exhibitor bemoaned the lack of a flat class for Irish Draughts at Dublin. There was no qualifying process in place for the breed classes at Balmoral in May when, at that early stage of the season, 35 horses were listed for the performance section and 20 for the flat, 11 being doubly entered.