Show jumping
This was the second year that Lurgan hosted a Breeders’ Championship qualifier and several owners travelled northwards at the start of June to secure early qualification.
Or eastwards, as amongst the newcomers in this year’s final is Donegal owner Valerie Davis’s Becca Baby, by the Oldenburg stallion O.B.O.S Quality 004 and out of the Loughehoe Guy mare Frenchfort Loughehoe Lady.
She has a colt foal – Cloughroe Maximus – by the Stakkato Gold son Landino VDL.
Lurgan proved lucky again too for Derry Rothwell’s Greenhall Catwalk, by Mermus R, the reserve champion mare in 2019. This year’s filly foal – Greenhall Catarina – is by Boleybawn Alvaro, winner of the Dublin six–year–old final in 2024.
Eventing
Lurgan was where 2024 champions Dernahatten Out Of Touch and her foal Timpany Northern Lights qualified and bidding to emulate her is the first of John Roche’s hopefuls: Assagart Fairytale.
The reigning Coote Cup champion is by the thoroughbred sire Coroner and out of the Flagmount King dam Assagart Sapphire, making her the first of three traditionally–bred mares in this year’s field.
She has another Carrabis Z filly foal – Assagart Loyalty – at foot this year. Her sire – another of Richie Moloney’s ex–string – previously competed in Dublin’s international classes.
The second combination to qualify at the northern qualifier was Dessie Gibson’s Drumbo Bluebell, bred on Dutch lines, as she’s by Silvano out of the Taloubet VDL mare Graigs Taloubet Star. Her colt foal at foot – Bubbles – is by the thoroughbred stallion Sir Lando.
Show jumping
On to the convenient midlands qualifier next which has a 100% strike rate in the past two years of producing the Dublin show jumping section champions: Bridget Devaney’s Emme and her Hardrock VDL colt (2023) and John McDonnell’s CBI Ice Queen, and Nice Queen (2024).
Hoping that Athlone luck will rub off again are this year’s two show jumping section contenders, starting with Michael Egan’s previous mare finalist; Oakfield Sweet Heart. By Womanizer, she doubles up on Dutch–sourced stallions lines through her Guidam dam Oakfield Solitaire. Sligo Candy Boy is the sire of her filly foal at foot: Sandyhill Candy Kid.
The second Athlone representative is Patrick Finn’s Dutch–bred Penelope, by Jardonnay VDL out of the Fergar Mail mare Ivania. She has a filly foal at foot – FSH Ruby – by the Diamant de Semilly son, Diarado.
Eventing
One of the biggest numbers in this summer’s qualifiers was seen in Athlone’s eventing section.
Hurst Show Team’s LCC Yoko, by the Westfalian sire Iroko, has West Cork bloodlines through the thoroughbred Edmund Burke and her colt foal – Tattygare Here Again – is by Caspar 232 that show jumped at the Rio Olympics with Italy’s Emanuele Gaudiano.
The second pair through from Athlone was Martin Murphy’s Castlegate Sweet Emotion, the second Mermus R dam we see in this year’s entries.
Her Limmerick dam is Frenchfort Limerick Lady and her unnamed colt foal is also the second in this year’s championship by the Irish Sport Horse stallion: Sligo Candy Boy.
Show jumping
Down to two chances left to qualify by the time the penultimate qualifier rolled around in late June at the north Cork show and it proved to be a happy hunting ground for Wexford owners.
Starting in the show jumping section where Eileen Furlong’s Bonnie by Foxglen Cruise Control – sire of European junior medallist gold horse Temple Alice – will be back in Ring 1 again next week, having also qualified last year at Charleville. Her 2025 foal is the Castlefield Kingston filly: Thistletown Victoria.
John Roche will be double–handed at the Dublin finals as his Colin Diamond mare Assagart Velvet and her colt foal Assagart Call Me, by Call Me Number One, also qualified. The Westfalian sire of this foal show jumped up to 1.60m level with Richie Moloney.
Eventing
It took him nearly 30 years for his first win in 2023 and Waterford dairy farmer Richard Drohan is back again with that winning mare – Golden Moments, a Golden Master – Pointilliste mare.
Her News Anchor colt foal also matches the Deise owner’s 2023 winning recipe.
Golden Moments and her News Anchor colt with Richard and Laura Drohan in 2023 \ Susan Finnerty
The long haul from Mayo paid off for Liz Murphy and Michael Hennigan’s Cappulcorragh Quality Time, the second O.B.O.S Quality 004 daughter in this year’s finals.
Her dam is by the Dutch–bred Maltstriker while her filly foal – Cappulcorragh Time To Dance – is by the 2023 Croker Cup champion Galileo Dance.
Show jumping
On to Kilrush for the final chance in early July. Western raiders did well with Ruth Keane’s Dutch–bred Oilily, by Entertainer and out of a Clinton dam, and another Diarado foal, a colt this time – FSH Romeo – qualifying here.
From a first–time finalist to a seasoned campaigner as Liam Lynskey’s latest contenders is CSF Fevertree. By Glasgow van’t Merelsnest and out of a Voltaire dam, both she and DS Sambuca, by Lynskey’s in–house stallion DS Shotgun gained their ‘Dublin bus passes’.
Eventing
The last two pieces of the 2025 Breeders’ Championship jigsaw puzzle were filled in when the eventing places were decided.
Johnathan McDonnell and Sonja Ochadlik have qualified Emzo, by Voss – shown to Dublin final success in 2023 by Johnathan’s uncle Des – and SHS Sophia, a filly foal by DS Are You With Me.
Completing this year’s finalists round–up is Derry Rothwell with Greenhall Maybe So, by Laughtons Flight out of Greenhall Miss Cruise, a daughter of Greenhall Cailin Deas. Greenhall Why So is her filly foal at foot by the Plot Blue son, Hiello.
That completes the snapshots of this year’s hopefuls. We’ll know who the 2025 winners are next Friday when The Irish Field Breeders’ Championship is scheduled to start at 11.25am.
Another opportunity to see the winning combinations is in Sunday’s parade of champions in the main arena.
This year’s Breeders' Championships qualifier judges, pictured at Charleville: Maurice Coleman and Clare Ryan \ Susan Finnerty