WRAPPING up the Traditional Irish Horse Association (TIHA) 2026 calendar was the association’s annual performance championship at Mullingar Equestrian Centre.
While the recent Limerick Show hosted the long-running Limerick Lady, Matron and other in-hand classes, last Sunday included follow-on options, such as three-year-old loose jumping, ridden, and performance classes.
Mullingar has been the venue for these championships, since their post-Covid start. Its indoor arena was used for both of the three-year-old loose jumping classes, however, apart from a couple of showers, the midland region appeared to escape the worst of Sunday’s weather.
Nor did it deter many of the hardy competitors, who were in their element in the performance classes, where the Mullingar banks also featured in the Tony Ennis-built courses.
Alice Copithorne’s busy week ended with two championship titles, starting off by producing Marian Slattery’s home-bred Elegant Emilia for a win in the opening class.
This five-year-old grey mare, now on the market, lives up to her name and is by the Irish Draught stallion Young Carrabawn. She is one of 10 offspring produced to date by her Kings Master dam, Kings Elegance.
Higher Power’s owner-rider Sarah Lang had an equally busy day too, taking the blue ribbon in this opening class. With that name, his breeder is a giveaway and Waterford man Tom Power has enjoyed considerable success for decades with his traditional-breds.
His latest is by the Giants Causeway son Pointilliste out of the Craigsteel mare Daisy Day, who goes back to his great winner Star Banner. Third place went to Gerry Whyte’s consistent Sleehaun Showtime (Watervalley Cool Diamond).
Tim and Nicola Martin with Imperator, another bred and bought from the Noctor family \ Susan Finnerty
TIH cornerstone breeds
Finding ride judges is a growing headache for show organisers. Emily Woods has proved an invaluable gem this year and was on duty again, along with Liam Cotter (conformation), for the six-year-old and over class.
Here, the winner was Tim and Pat Martin’s much-admired Imperator, an Emperor Augustus full-brother to the couple’s 2016 yearling and traditional-bred Dublin champion, Superior Choice, a good winner on the cross-channel circuit. Both were bred by Des and Eileen Noctor respectively.
Sarah Lang’s second horse Cois Farraige picked up a second good result in this class. By the Dublin Irish Draught multi-champion Moylough Legacy, his thoroughbred dam Casania is by the German Horse of the Year Acatenango, who ran in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe’s 1986 vintage field, won by the great Dancing Brave.
Component breeds of the Traditional Irish Horse - Connemaras and Irish Draughts - are welcome to compete in these championships and a pure-bred Draught, Calagy Day In May (Kilmovee White Hero), placed third for Debbie Burns. As are thoroughbreds. Following the success of last year’s inaugural class, held in partnership with Treo Eile, the opening performance class was won by Charlotte Walshe’s versatile Kinsau, by Indian Danehill and bred by Sean Reilly.
The same multi-tasking label could fit other entries, that have featured in this section’s Treo Eile, eventing and working hunter reports throughout the summer, including Carol Coad’s runner-up Barberton (Johannesburg) and Emily Murphy’s Lilly Bobtail (Harzand).
The tried and trusted format of all three phases judged consecutively proved a speedy method for these classes. Flatwork, jumping and conformation phases were judged by Denise Norton, Emily Woods and Liam Cotter.
When the scores were totted up, it produced a second win of the day for Sarah Lang, this time with Higher Power, ahead of Chris Ryan’s SBT Split The G, by the only Irish Draught to win the Dublin loose jumping final - Ann Lambert’s Ashfield Bouncer.
For good measure, Ann also bred the Scarteen horse and, in third, was another Irish Draught performer, PJ Sheerin’s My Highfield Starlet (Heigh Ho Dubh).
Alice Copithorne also made it a TIHA championship double when her Kipling, by the Puissance son Imperial Tiger, won the six-year-old and over section. Bred by Una McDonnell, the eye-catching bay, who also qualified for this year’s Dublin side-saddle class, is out of the Ghareeb daughter Ghareeb’s Girl.
RSH Strings Attached, a former supreme champion here for Aidan Flanagan and one of several Gortfree Hero offspring in Sunday’s startlists, placed second with Abbie Collins aboard.
Denis McGrath’s Clogher Crafty Lady (Cougar) completed the top-three results.
Supreme contenders
Red and blue ribbon winners from the day were eligible for the supreme championship and, joining the ridden contenders in the ring too for the finale, were the loose jumping winners.
Liam O’Meara, a TIHA award recipient at Dublin this year, judged these three-year-old classes. The least-supported in otherwise well-filled classes, TIHA chairman Kevin Noone is keen to continue with this section, which probably didn’t benefit with several producers busy with Goresbridge sales season.
Which is where Chris Ryan bought his winner - Ballinglen Back Again - as a foal from breeder Donal Goland (next week’s Breeders’ 10 feature). By the Ballinglen Stud owner’s own Grandpa’s Rebel, the three-year-old’s dam Ballycreen Illyria is by Orbis.
In second was Shane Shortall’s pure-bred Draught Blackstone Rambler (Rosetown Rambler) and third went to Liam Lynskey’s Seychelles Black Shadow (Black Shadow), also flying the native breeds flag.
As was Athlone owner Ian Mulligan, who won the fillies section with his Clifden loose jumping prize winner Eyreville Willow (Tullaree Casanova), bred by George Dreaper Eyre.
A first-time owner at these championships, Mulligan was amongst a group of Sunday’s attendees to have sung the praises on social media of the “pleasant group” who ran Sunday’s show, from stewards to vets carrying out the mandatory dope testing.
In second place was Samantha Fitzsimons’ Lionwood Arclight (Glenmore Fear Donn) from the late Patricia Nicholson’s ‘Lion’ family and third was the pure-bred Draught My Highfield Billie Jean.
It’s a Wrap: Kevin Noone rolls up the TIHA banner for the final 2026 outing, alongside Emily Woods and Jennifer Haverty \ Susan Finnerty
Progress
In the overall supreme championship, the combined judges’ panel chose Ballinglen Back Again and then Elegant Emilia as their reserve supreme.
“The day once again demonstrated the quality of the Traditional Irish Horse and, equally importantly, the dedication of the people who continue to support, breed and promote these horses.
“One of the most encouraging aspects of this year’s event was the continued improvement in the quality of the horses presented.
“We’ve witnessed this progress year on year, both in the standard of competition and in the overall quality and presentation of the horses.
“This was particularly evident in the final line-up, where six outstanding horses came forward. The quality across the line-up was exceptional, and I certainly did not envy the judges the difficult task of separating them, but once again they did a brilliant job,” TIHA chairman Kevin Noone commented.
“It is important to remember that TIHA is a voluntary association, made up of people who freely give their time and expertise because of their commitment to the preservation, development and promotion of the Traditional Irish Horse. Events such as this simply could not take place without that dedication.
“We’re also extremely fortunate to have the excellent facilities of Mullingar Equestrian Centre available to us and the quality of the venue is regularly commented upon by exhibitors and visitors alike.
“We greatly appreciate the continued assistance and cooperation of everyone at Mullingar Equestrian Centre, without whose support it would not have been possible to stage the event.”
What they said
Alice Copithorne: “We flew over to Burghley on Thursday morning and home Friday night. I’d never been there and was hoping to bring Dolly [Fort Arthur Little Dolly, her Luhmühlen horse] there next year, so I wanted to see the cross-country course!”
Kevin Noone: “We are equally grateful to our sponsors, whose continued support plays a vital role in making the event possible. Horse Sport Ireland generously provided much of the prize money, and we were delighted that [HSI Head of Breeding, Innovation and Development] Sonja Egan attended to support us on the day.
“Treo Eile continues to support the developing Thoroughbred class, which we hope will grow from strength to strength. Our sincere thanks also go to Westmeath County Council and its Cathaoirleach Cllr Billy Collentine, who continue to support the show, and to Loop Mobile, who have faithfully sponsored our championship rugs over a number of years. We greatly value these relationships and look forward to continuing to work with all our sponsors into the future.”
Liam O’Meara: “There’s definitely a market for traditional-breds, they’re suited for the non-professional and amateur markets too, as they can be easier to do, break and manage.”
NUMEROUS and well-deserved plaudits were paid to the TIHA team, both seen in the stream of owners and riders who stopped by the ‘office’ at the end of the day to offer a word of thanks and online afterwards.
“The hard work and commitment of the TIHA Council was clearly evident throughout the event, with a large number of Council members present on the day, giving their time and assistance to ensure that everything ran as smoothly as possible. Thankfully, the weather was also kind to us, with the rain holding off until proceedings were almost complete,” added Kevin.
Another who dropped by was Tim Martin, who with a long journey home and not-so-favourable weather forecast, opted not to wait for the supreme championship with Imperator.
“He was bred by Eileen Noctor, whose late husband Desmond was a very strong supporter of the traditional-bred horse. We bought a number of foals off Desmond over the years, and, in fact, mostly from his Coille Mor Hill mare.”
Kemella Clover Diamond, bred by Mella Briscoe, is by Michael McKeigue’s Grade A show jumping stallion and out of a Spring Diamond mare, Diamond Bridge.
“Very much a Draught mare with a bit of blood, she produced a lot of quality foals and we bought several, including one grey horse that we took to HOYS as a two-year-old for the in-hand class and he was an absolutely superb horse.
“This fellow [Imperator] has the same lovely temperament. We haven’t done an awful lot with him, we took him very steady and really this is the first year we’ve had him out to do anything. This is only his third show I think and he’s definitely finished now for the year. We just wanted to bring him here because he’s traditional and Lesley Jones, who produces him for us, has done a fabulous job.”
What also makes Tim an ideal ‘case study’ for this segment is the family’s long association with traditional-breds.
“I came from a background where my father [Samuel Robert, best known as SR] bred a lot of thoroughbred and sport horses.
“Certainly in his day, everything was traditional as in draught mares crossed with country stallions. The cross between thoroughbred and Draughts to us was just second nature.
“They were a wonderful horse, versatile with everything from top-class show jumpers to horses that won Dublin championships or went to the hunting field. There were so many jobs for them.”
Gabhran, Countryman and three-time Hickstead Derby winner and 1993 Dublin Grand Prix champion Mon Santa are just some of the household names associated with SR, a Dublin Horse Show chief steward.
“Mon Santa and Countryman were full-brothers, Gabhran was out of a different mare. All out of Draught-cross mares and a country sire, nothing fancy in their breeding, but they had the ability to go and reach the very top.”
“I always remember Mon Santa as a foal, he got spooked one day when he was about six months old and just sailed over a wall, didn’t touch it, he just had a natural ability to jump. The other two boys were exactly the same. But this is why to me, and I’m not knocking warmbloods in any way, but you know that traditional-cross had such ability.
“Fences now are very different, we’re aware of that, but they’re still jumping the same heights and they’d have jumped 1.50m, 1.60m all day long. The ability is there if the animal has the natural talent.
“They’re quirks of nature, but I say that cross certainly had it and had the brain. I think that’s one of the biggest things that we saw more than anything else, they had a brain.”
Tim and wife Pat own Bobsleight, this year’s Dublin reserve supreme young horse champion - yet another Emperor Augustus and yet another bred by a Noctor family member, Derek.
Which was a timely reminder last Sunday to talk about another great Northern showman, the late Dessie Gibson, another supporter of traditional Irish bloodlines.
“Very much so. Dessie’s father and my father showed mares and foals in the 1950s, 60s and 70s in Dublin. Again, very much the traditional thoroughbred-Draught cross that Dessie loved, the same mind as myself.
“He had the most fabulous eye for a horse,” continued Tim about the Dromara showman and friendly rival at the salesring. “Dessie and I often went to the same sales. We remained very good friends!
“He just had a superb talent for picking out a foal, he loved to get the traditional foal. That was his driving force.
“Certainly in the last years, he had warmbloods too, but if it was a nice, traditional-bred foal, he was there to bid and he was hard to stop!”
A full tribute to Dessie Gibson will be included in next week’s issue.