THE fourth Kildare Performance Hunter Show took place last Saturday.

The day was blessed with good weather and a spectator attendance of over 500, including visitors from Germany, Holland, Britain and the USA.

Diarmuid Ryan began the 100cm Irish Horse Gateway Hunter Class at 9am, riding Declan Phelan’s seven-year-old Rocky (ISH) over a course of 12 obstacles. This year’s hunter and side saddle classes followed a similar line to the larger 15 obstacle 130cm Berney Bros. Kilcullen Huntsmans class. It would transpire that one of the obstacles; a log jump into a ford of the River Morrell, would cause most frustration to the riders of all classes, creating many stops as the sun glistened on the water flowing behind the log.

The class would be eventually won by Linda Murphy on Susan Fitzpatrick’s seven-year-old Sam Salad (ISH), this distinctive palomino gelding, sired by the Connemara stallion Pattys Veuve Cosmic, wowed the crowd with his sharp performance and good looks.

Linda Murphy and Sam Salad, winners of the Hunter class at the Kildare Hunt Club's Hunter Show at Punchestown (Photo: Mel Doyle)

Galway Blazers’ Nicola Carty riding her sister Maeve’s eight-year-old Birchill Rockstar (ISH) led the charge of the 100cm Westwood Trailers side saddle class.

OH MAMMY

After deploying the show marshals, committee member Hazel Valentine quit the field to prepare her 10-year-old Robbo (RID).

She had been drafted in to make up numbers for the small class of six. Riding to a drop hedge, she could be heard cry “oh, mammy” as she took it at full throttle.

First prize would go to another Galway blazer; Amory Mc Mahon, riding her home-bred 13-year-old Inis Free (RID), riding the final two jumps from home without a stirrup.

This would be the second time this partnership would win this class in Punchestown.

This was a testing course of twists and turns for side saddle riders, with impressive riding by all the ladies, prompting one delighted visitor to describe their bravery as “bonkers”.

ADO DOES IT AGAIN

The 130cm Huntsman Class was the final event of the day. Ado Moran, huntsman with the Carlow Farmers, was first to take to the challenge of the course. He was riding his hunt horse, six-year-old Eli (ISH).

The gelding by Laughton Flight (RID) was out of an unnamed thoroughbred mare. This classic sport horse cross would see the pair reclaim first place a second time, having won the show the previous October.

British visitor Tom Lancaster; whip from the Cheshire Hunt, travelled over on Friday morning to participate with his 12-year-old Charlie (ISH). Tom would describe his mortification at being stopped by the log jump.

In the years he has hunted Charlie, he says he had never had a stop. He was, however, delighted with his bank work and promised to return next year.

The water irony was not lost on him; as the following day he went on to win the Ballymacad Hunter trials, having crossed five water obstacles without trouble.

The day concluded at 5.30pm with the three tired judges, Alexander Butler (international showjumper), Rory Cleary (jockey and producer) and Brendan Kavanagh (Huntsman Wicklow Hunt) having evaluated a line up of 95 horses from 30 hunts in Ireland and Britain, under the blistering commentary of Chris Ryan.

Committee member Ronan Wilson commented: “We were delighted with the day, learned a few lessons and are now ready to go to the next level.”