THE ever-growing fan club of Dermot Molloy’s Two Mile Nigel had plenty to cheer about at last week’s Balmoral Show as the Diarmuid Ryan-ridden chesnut recorded an unprecedented double when crowned Pegus Horse Feed Irish Draught performance champion and working hunter champion.

The King Vinny gelding, who is out of the 2012 Penmerryls Rhythm And Blues mare Two Mile Gretta, was bred in Co Kerry by Jerry McMahon from whom Co Kilkenny exhibitor Molloy purchased the now five-year-old as a foal. He was shown in hand at three, winning four times and being crowned youngstock champion at the Westmeath/Offaly Branch show in Moate.

Last year, Two Mile Nigel first caught the eye when, ridden by Molloy, he won the novice supreme championship at the Northern Ireland Festival in Cavan in May. He finished sixth in his ID performance class at Balmoral and was back up north again less than a month later for the Dublin Horse Show four and five-year-old ID qualifier at Tullylish where he won Section B while his year-older stable-companion, Cummer Dubh, topped the scores in Section A.

Dermot Molloy's Two Mile Nigel won the ID Performance championship and was also supreme working hunter champion at Balmoral with Diarmuid Ryan \ Anne Hughes

The pair were partnered by Graiguenamanagh veterinary surgeon Ryan who was also on board both at Dublin where, on the opening morning, Cummer Dubh finished second and Two Mile Nigel third behind the Lionwood Kinsales Lad mare Carrafarm Constellations. Unlike the winner, the Molloy geldings had other engagements to meet at the Ballsbridge showgrounds.

Concentrating on Nigel, the eye-catching chesnut finished third in his four-year-old heavyweight hunter class on the Friday morning before winning his four-year-old working hunter class on Sunday morning. He then rounded off his first season under saddle by standing reserve in the afternoon’s championship to fellow ID Clandeboye, winner of the middle/heavyweight class.

This year, before heading to Balmoral for which he qualified first time out at The Meadows, Ryan partnered Two Mile Nigel to finish fourth in the four and five-year-old class at the Kildare performance hunter show in Punchestown.

In the Main Arena last Thursday week, Two Mile Nigel won the four and five-year-old class on a total of 177.5 points while Ryan also placed second on board Simon Kelly’s Clogher Highlander (173), a four-year-old bay gelding by Farmhill Highlander who was bred in Co Galway by Denis McGrath out of his Fast Silver mare Clogher Silvana. Tim McDonagh finished third on the five-year-old Casnova gelding Hollypark Cass (171.5).

Six-year-old and upwards

Second in the six-year-old and upwards class last May, Emma Jackson and Janice Reddy’s Ardnacashel Monarch, claimed the red rosette on this occasion on a score of 178.5 points. The nine-year-old Beechmore Silver Crest stallion, who was bred in Co Donegal by John Joseph Trearty, is out of the Star Kingdom mare White Goose.

Charlotte Harding finished second on Penny Murphy’s Kontiki (176), an 11-year-old Killinick Bouncer grey who was bred in Co Cork by Seamus Neville out of the Holycross mare Glen Cross, while McDonagh again had to settle for third on the six-year-old Castlegar Cool Mist gelding Hollypark Finn.

Last May, Jackson and Ardnacashel Monarch turned the tables on their class winner Clandeboye to win the title. This year, they had to settle for the reserve slot as the Pegus Horse Feed championship sash was awarded to Ryan on Two Mile Nigel. The three-phase competition was judged by Rachael Cox (flat), Kerrilee Wilson (jump) and Robert Draper (conformation).