THIS has been an excellent showing season so far for Dynam’s Sophie Marks and Ballinapark Endeavour who proved unbeatable in the Horse Sport Ireland showing section of last weekend’s AIRC Festival in Mullingar EC.

The first horses to appear before judges Ryan Anderson and Sarah Conway in Ring 1 on Saturday morning were the lightweight hunters where Mullaghmore’s Leonie O’Gorman, a well-known face on the open showing scene, made a winning Festival debut on Redwood Silver Slipper.

The eight-year-old, who came up from fourth in the judges’ original line-up, was bred out of the Candle King mare Castlehacket Belle by the late Des Noctor who stood the grey gelding’s sire, Emperor Augustus, at the Tara Hill Stud outside Gorey. Before returning for the Ring 1 championship, Redwood Silver Slipper won the afternoon’s side saddle class.

Representing the Anvil club, AIRC chairman Tony Ennis won the middleweight class on Combaro Diamond, a four-year-old he had also ridden at last month’s Balmoral Show. Third in the original line-up, this dark grey is owned by Judy Pearson who, along with her husband Mike (principal at Gurteen Agricultural College), was on hand to support the winner.

Combaro Diamond is by the German-bred thoroughbred Acambaro and was bred in Co Limerick by John Hourigan out of the Coevers Diamond Boy mare Glossy Girl.

Arriving in Mullingar on the back of a championship success with Ballinapark Endeavour at the Cheval club’s annual pre-Festival show, Marks was right to feel confident about her chances in the heavyweight class and duly took the honours.

The seven-year-old Crosstown Dancer gelding, who is out of a Coronea Eagle mare, is usually supported from the sidelines by his Co Meath breeder Vivenne O’Connor but she was otherwise engaged on Saturday judging at the miniature horse show at the National Horse Sport arena.

CHAMPIONS

Also forward for the Ring 1 championship were the champion and reserve small hunters, Clone Bill and Holmedown Hannah who both came from Section B.

The former, a nine-year-old bay gelding by Cloneen Clover, was ridden for the Arderin club by Laura Johnston, while the Gemma Casey-ridden 12-year-old Enniskeane Prince mare Holmedown Hannah, represented Clonshire. For the record, the Section A winner was the delighted Killossery member Celine Martin who said she was proud of herself and her mount, the nine-year-old Connemara Rushlawn Melody, a son of I Love You Melody.

As Anderson and Conway were the only decision makers in Ring 1, they didn’t take too long in picking Ballinapark Endeavour as their champion with Redwood Silver Slipper standing reserve.

As there were only two four-year-olds forward, and Combaro Diamond got a bit tired, the combined judges selected Kerry club member Claudia Cuttoty’s Mr Wonderful, a grey gelding by WRS Elvis, as their champion. In the mares’ championship, Holmedown Hannah stood reserve to Olivia Connolly and the 11-year-old Van Dantzig bay Barronstown Poppy.

deliberations

For the supreme championship all moved up to the international grass arena and while the judges did deliberate for a time, they were far quicker than in the past at choosing their winner, Ballinapark Endeavour took the honours ahead of the former three-time winner, Landanos Rolling Clover.

Delighted to have been presented with the Carl Geisler memorial award, Marks said she will be taking Ballinapark Endeavour to her local Flavours of Fingal Show next weekend and, after that, is looking forward to riding the grey heavyweight at Dublin.