CO Clare breeder Gina Heaps has been collecting plenty of rosettes and sashes this year and returned to Quin from the Dublin Horse Show last weekend with three of the most prestigious trophies on the Irish youngstock showing circuit.

This haul was all thanks to the home-bred Carrowgar Herald who was shown by Rebecca Monahan to first win his three-year-old medium/heavyweight geldings’ class on Wednesday morning, followed by his age championship for the Captain Anthony Maude Cup that afternoon.

On Thursday, the son of Herald remained unbeaten as he claimed the Laidlaw Cup as youngstock champion and the Pembroke Cup as champion home-bred exhibit.

“Gorgeous George finally got the recognition he deserved!” said Heaps referring to the bay’s placings in the Royal Dublin Society showgrounds as a foal (seventh), yearling (sixth) and two-year-old (fifth).

This season, Carrowgar Herald was champion young horse at Newmarket On Fergus in May and won his class at Balmoral where he was reserve champion home-bred. He was unplaced at Bannow and Rathangan but did pick up the turn-out prize.

The 2019 Dublin champion is by the Grand Prix show jumper Herald III and out of Equine Connect Monchie who Heaps show jumped herself. That 2001 Flagmount King mare was out of the non-winning thoroughbred Gritty Shoon.

While considering a mate for Equine Connect Monchie in 2015, Heaps travelled to the VDL stallion show with two of their stallions in mind. “I wanted to see them in the flesh, but, when I did, I decided they weren’t suitable for my mare. I then saw Herald, whose jump looked amazing, and said ‘that’s the one I want, he’s right’.”

Heading for England

Heaps has two full-brothers to Carrowgar Herald. The two-year-old Carrowgar Heraldo will be aimed at the potential event horse championship next year while this season’s foal, Carrowgar Henry, will be retained for the present. Carrowgar Herald will be shown under saddle in England next season having been purchased by Gary and Raine Harthern.

“It was brilliant to win at Dublin; we were so thrilled,” said Heaps. “The judges loved his temperament – he is a calm, kind horse. I used to show him myself but asked Rebecca to take over this year and she has done a fantastic job with him.”

Co Tipperary exhibitors, Michael and Rachel Lyons, won the lightweight three-year-old geldings’ class with their Future Trend chesnut LNG Huntingfield Trend who is out of Anita Hawkes-Lyons’s Irish Draught mare Tynaghs Huntingfield (by Huntingfield Rebel).

This fellow was shown in his class by Richard Shannon as Michael remained loyal to the couple’s All-Ireland winner, Newmarket Knight (by Newmarket Venture), who finished fourth. The judges were obviously taken by LNG Huntingfield Trend as he went on to be reserve champion three-year-old and reserve supreme champion. Ballina’s Tiernan Gill won yet another class at the RDS when his Power Blade bay, Step On It, claimed the three-year-old fillies’ class ahead of Julie Radden’s home-bred Garland Treasure (by Nigrasine). The winner was bred in Co Sligo by Jim Tempany out of the Limmerick mare Tireragh Stepping Stone.