League victory for Clare Abbott and Malcolm X

THE support provided to shows and events this year by Horse Sport Ireland has been welcomed by all and while there is still some time to run in the Autumn Development Series across the three disciplines of dressage, eventing and show jumping, the HSI EI110 series concluded at Punchestown last Saturday week.

The league winner was the nine-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Malcolm X who returned to action this season following a two-year lay-off through injury. The dark bay is ridden by Hillsborough Olympian Clare Abbott for Dougie Sloan whose partner, Fiona Wilson, not only nursed the Vechta gelding back to health but bought him as a foal.

Malcolm X was bred near Banbridge by Judith McClelland out of the Touchdown mare, Brookhall Lady, who was purchased as a three-year-old from her breeder, David Nelson. “We decided to see what kind of stock she’d throw before we broke her and her foals were so nice that we never did break her in the end,” explained the breeder. “We did however show her in hand with her foals and they always did well.

“We have sold most of the foals off the mare but, for the moment, we have retained her 2019 filly by Cevin Z. This year she had a colt by Billy Congo, who’s a son of Vechta. Racehorse trainer Caroline McCaldin, who lives nearby in Dromara, owned five of her foals at one time or other including Black Ice (CCI3*-L), another by Vechta. She still owns the Sir Shutterfly mare Bikini (CCI3*-L), who was fifth in the seven and eight-year-old class at Punchestown, and the mare’s four-year-old, Nectarine, a Tolan R mare.”

McClelland, who is an SJI judge, looks after the horses at Brookhall Farm while her husband Eric tends to his 200+ dairy cows. The couple have a shared passion in breeding and successfully showing Aberdeen Angus cattle.

The final, in which Malcolm X finished sixth, was won by the Patrick Whelan-ridden ISH gelding Rehy Royal Occasion, one of just three horses, from 30 starters, to complete on their dressage score. The Rehy High Society seven-year-old is owned by retired Taghmon farmer Henry Phipps who also has the four-year-old Garthy Express (by Colin Diamond) with Whelan.

‘Had to have him’

The winner was purchased as a three-year-old by Phipps’s wife Wendy, the well-known show horse producer, who said: “Michael Kelly, from whom I bought the good show jumper Castle Rock, told me he’d seen this horse who had my name on it.

“So, having watched some videos, my daughter Hannah (Summers) and I headed down to the Russell family’s Atlantic Stud to have a closer look.

“The minute I saw Special Occasion, I knew I had to have him as he had so much presence and was so active,” continued Phipps. “Once I got him back to Co Wexford, I set about breaking him and, although others, mainly Rosemary Connors, rode him at shows, I produced him myself. He was a big horse so I didn’t want to rush him. He was placed in his middleweight class at Dublin as a four-year-old and then the next season, I had him in England with the late Rory Gilsenan.

“He qualified for the middleweights at the Royal International while, in working hunters, he was second in his novice class at Hickstead and won his novice class at the Festival of Hunting. I’ve always said he was a very good horse and he should go to the top in eventing – he’s brave, forward-going, has lots of jumping ability and loves his job.”

Rehy Royal Occasion started eventing with Paddy Byrne last year but came in for a change of yard over the closed season as explained by Henry Phipps. “He’s a bit of an odd horse so when I saw Paddy Whelan riding one day I decided he was the one for ‘Harry’.”

Rehy Royal Occasion was bred by Mark Russell and is a full-brother to Rehy Lucky (CCI4*-S) being out of Rehy Summer who sadly died when he was foaled. In common with the league winner, the ISH gelding has Touchdown as his damsire.

“Harry was raised on a bottle until they could find a foster mare for him and she was a pony. He’s now 17 hands or so but thinks he’s a pony and thinks he should be on a bottle!” said Phipps. “All joking aside, I do think he could go to the top and I’m delighted with the way he is being produced by Paddy who is always prepared to learn.”