THE North Co Dublin mother and daughter duo of owner Susan Fanning and rider Tara Murphy won the Northern Ireland Festival’s ridden horse supreme championship at the Cavan Equestrian Centre last Sunday with Taughblane Dancer.

Murphy and the five-year-old Crosstown Dancer gelding commenced their winning ways during daytime on Friday when they landed their amateur ridden hunter class while they were second in their ladies’ astride class.

Their results were even better in the evening performance when they claimed both titles.

On Sunday, Murphy and Taughblane Dancer won their open middleweight hunter class and stood reserve to the lightweight winner, the Nicola Perrin-ridden Stoneman Team Spirit, a five-year-old bay gelding by Dunsandle Diamond.

Once again under lights in the evening, Taughblane Dancer came into his own to win the ridden horse supreme championship.

First show

Fanning and Murphy purchased the chesnut Irish Sport Horse in February from Co Down’s Lyndsey Wylie who bred him out of her Amiro M mare Taughblane Uptown Girl, a half-sister to Alomar DS (CCI2*-L) and Applejack (CCI3*-S) who are both by Jacomar.

The Northern Ireland Festival marked 20-year-old Murphy’s first start with Taughblane Dancer.

He was second last May in the four-year-old heavyweight class at Balmoral but holds an entry in next week’s middleweight class and the ladies’ astride. As the rider is coached by Joanna Butler, Taughblane Dancer is kept on livery at Greenogue.