PERFORMANCE classes are hugely popular with competitors and spectators alike and, late on Thursday afternoon, 16 four-year-olds and a similar number of five-year-olds are due before David Lee and Lizzie Murray for the dressage plus conformation and type phases of the Knotts Bakery young event horse championship.

For the first time, these phases will be staged in the Main Arena and will be followed by the jumping phase where horses will be judged by Libby Cooke over a course designed by Adrienne Stuart. Photographs of the participating horses, mostly standing shots, will be shown on the big screen as each horse, who had to qualify for the championship, comes before the three judges.

On Friday morning, Irish Draught enthusiasts will be out in force to watch the Theault Horseboxes Irish Draught performances classes in the Main Arena. There are just six entries in the four-year-old class but 31 in the five-year-old and upwards section including last year’s champion, Alicia Devlin Byrne’s King Flagmount, and Marie Helene Finegan’s Silver Foggy Dew, reserve champion in Dublin.

It’s over to Horse Arena 1 later that day for three competitive-looking Patey PROtector working hunter horse classes. There are a couple of young event horses among the 12 four-year-olds while Louise Lyons has entered Paulette Cooper’s First Rate in the five and six-year-old class. This liver chesnut Obelix gelding showed his wellbeing by winning the working hunter championship at Thomastown on Sunday.

There are 29 entries in the seven-year-old and upwards division including last year’s champion, Emily McGowan’s Loch Cruise mare EMS Richeals Pet and reserve, Antonia de Burgh’s Cobra gelding Gypsy Cobra Cruis. Others to note are Shirley Moore’s Country Strong, Sadhbh Springate’s Mullybrannon Diamond, Sarah Moore’s Shameless and the NIF supreme working hunter champion, Paulette Cooper’s MJM Lazslo.

The British Horse Society sponsors Saturday’s new cob working hunter class, which has attracted seven entries. Among the 30 entries for the Event Technical Services small horse workers’ class is last year’s second, Charlene Thompson’s home-bred mare Luskys Ballerina, Emily McGowan’s five-year-old Silken Liberty, Mike Lewis’s Carnsdale Irish Times, Tracey McKeown’s Ardeo Chocolate and Alison Crozier’s Mastermind.