MUCH like the rugby match on Saturday, Cork Summer Show was a game of two halves. The pony enthusiasts were met with a lovely summer’s day on Saturday until the rain clouds came in on Saturday evening and made themselves well and truly at home for the horse section on Saturday.

Saturday’s pony classes were well supported with six rings in full swing. In the ridden show hunter pony ring, judge Gill Glynn found her champion in Liam Ruttle’s Bronheulog Sunny Boy, who had taken the red rosette in the 133cm division.

Caitriona Glynn made the long journey from Galway worthwhile, winning the 143cm class and the junior side saddle to take the reserve spot.

In the show pony ring, the mini championship went to Lorna Twomey with Uppacott Xotica (by Ardenhall Missoni), who came forward from the open 123cm class. The reserve rosette was awarded to Oonagh Gilvarry’s Fofsway Ganymede (by Fofsway Nobility) with Ruairí Gilvarry on board.

The overall championship in the The Welsh Medal Show under judge Brian Hyslop went the way of John Dineen with his part-bred mare, Just A Dream. Aidan Williamson stood reserve with his Section B, Cadlan Valley Crusader (by Paddock Chenkee). The same pairing repeated their placings in the overall in-hand championship.

The Connemara classes were particularly well supported. In the in-hand section, Fr Christy McCormack brought forward Ardnore Silver Lady (by Glencarrig Lexus), owned by mother and son partnership Kitty and Liam Cotter as his champion, on her first day out for the pair.

The ridden championship went to Joan Dahill’s Glencairn Sixpence. Both were invited back on Sunday to compete in the unique Native Breeds Championship, taking on the champions from the Irish Draught and the Kerry Bog Pony sections for the Billy Cotter Cup. In a moment of serendipity, this championship went the way of Ardnore Silver Lady – a nice outcome on Fathers’ Day.

HEAVY RAIN

The heavy rain on Sunday affected turnout both from exhibitors and the general public but those that braved the elements were met with some very strong classes. Cork saw another qualifier for The Irish Field Breeders’ Championship, with another three pairings booking their ticket to the RDS.

These were Declan Daly’s Floating Valley (by Brookfield Floating Lux) with her colt foal by Munther, Derry Rothwell’s Greenhall Indicator (by Limmerick) with her filly foal by Greenhall, and Kieran Fahey’s Madame Noir (by King’s Master) and her colt foal by Craigsteel.

The breeding stock section was overseen by judges David Lyons from Northern Ireland and Mary Wilson from the UK. They selected Russell and Judith Cowley’s Arthur’s Gold mare, Clonyhea Peas, as their broodmare champion, with Kieran Fahey’s Madame Noir standing Reserve.

One of the strongest classes in that ring, the Irish Draught mare class, produced the champion Irish Draught in John Roche’s now familiar Kingstead Fiona (by Huntingfield Rebel).

DIFFICULT TASK

In the youngstock section, Lawrence Patterson had a difficult task adjudicating some very strong classes, most notably the three-year-old gelding class, from which he chose his eventual champion, Rosemary Connors’ Woodfield Extra.

He is by the thoroughbred sire Financial Reward, who won The Irish Field Breeders Championship with his dam, Woodfield Valier, as a foal. The reserve rosette in a very strong championship went to Regina Daly’s yearling filly, Timpany Ruby (by Centre Stage).

The turnout in the ridden section was affected somewhat by the inclement weather, but the ridden hunter championship was a continuation of a winning streak for Wexford exhibitor, John Roche, when his middleweight hunter, Assagart Mistress (by King’s Master) took the ridden hunter championship. She was a former Limerick Lady Champion in 2012.

Reserve went to Jennifer Maher’s lightweight hunter, Cosmo by Ghareeb out of Kieran Fahey’s well known mare Kief Princess.