THE hugely popular Northern Ireland Festival came to a close in the Supreme Products Arena at Cavan Equestrian Centre on Sunday night with victory in the featured Festival working hunter horse and pony championships for two contrasting operations.
The horse title was won by the German-bred stallion Lougherne Charity Blue who qualified at Ardnacashel and got through to Sunday’s evening performance as winner of the 90cms class in the Mane Dealer Ring grass arena on Saturday. There he finished ahead of Nicci Hall’s MJI Scarlett Rose who was to be presented with the reserve sash the following night.
Lougherne Charity Blue is owned by the Hillsborough-based Lougherne Stud of William Collins and and Jane Allen-Collins. He was purchased privately from his breeder, Paul Schockemohle, two years ago, just before he was to meet his engagement in a performance auction.
The 2010 bay, who is by Chacco Blue out of a Charity mare out of a Peter Pan mare, was ridden at Cavan by Conor O’Hare.
Lougherne Stud’s stable jockey has had the opportunity to display the stallion’s versatility as he won dressage and unregistered show jumping competitions on Lougherne Charity Blue who he also partnered in two EI90 classes last autumn.
“This is a super, scopey stallion with a fantastic temperament who was bred to show jump,” said Allen-Collins. “He was a big baby when we bought him so we took him home to Ireland to let him have some fun and grow up. He has been on offer to breeders under our young sire policy last year and this and we can’t wait to see his first foals.
“We were thrilled with his win on Saturday, as that was the first time this year that he jumped on grass, while, of course, to win the championship was brilliant, especially as we were competing at the Festival for the first time. We are delighted to own such a super stallion and have real belief in his show jumping talent. He heads back to our international rider Thorsten Wittenburg in Germany this June to start his show jumping career.”
The pedigree of the reserve champion, MJI Scarlett Rose, who was ridden by her Ballynahinch owner Nicci Hall, is probably more familiar to working hunter enthusiasts. The eight-year-old chesnut mare is by the Irish Draught stallion Cappa Cochise and was bred by Joanne Jarden out of her Moothyeb mare Thistle Fayre.
Second twice in three EI90 classes, MJI Scarlett is among the entries for the new small working hunter class at next month’s Balmoral show.
Lougherne Charity Blue picked up £1,000 for his efforts at Cavan, as did the pony champion, Creganna Dandini, who was ridden by Jane Field for her mother Marjorie Hardiman, breeder of the nine-year-old Connemara gelding.
The grey won as a four-year-old in Clifden and twice claimed the in-hand geldings’ class at the Co Galway Connemara festival. A multiple champion in breed and open working hunter championships, Creganna Dandini was crowned the Connemara Performance Association champion at Claregalway last year and was working hunter champion in Mullingar. Also in 2016, Field and Creganna Dandini travelled to Grantham where they won a Mountain and Moorland working hunter class.
Hardiman’s champion is by Cashelbay Prince out of the Tulira Robuck mare Prospect Suzy who had an excellent performance record herself. She has bred three foals by Connemara stallions, including Creganna Belle who was second in the Festival 143cms class on Saturday, but is now carrying to the Selle Francais stallion Koro d’Or.
“We were thinking ahead to Jane moving on to something bigger,” said Hardiman who successfully competed Creganna Dandini herself in Dressage Ireland and Riding Club competitions. “After Suzy has this foal she is going to return to competition.”
Getting to Cavan from Oranmore required a bit of thinking and effort on behalf of the family. “Mark drove the lorry up on Thursday with six ponies and then he headed back home in the car, leaving me there with Jane (15) and Lara (nine) before coming back up again on Friday night. It was after 1.30am when we got back home after Sunday’s evening performance!”
HOYS QUALIFIER
In other working hunter classes at the three-day show, Lesley Webb won the Horse of the Year Show qualifier on Sunday with the smart OCS Double Vision, a seven-year-old by the Irish Draught stallion Classic Vision. The bay, who has done some eventing and show jumping, was bred by Webb’s partner Richard Iggulden.
Webb also won the Murdock Saddlery ridden hunter championship with Yvonne Pearson’s 14-year-old Ricardo Z gelding Double Take, winner of the lightweight section, and the Graham Irwin Graphic Design cob championship on board Sam McAteer’s Randalstown Raffles, a five-year-old grey lightweight gelding.
Lyndsey O’Brien had a good show winning the home-produced flat championship and the ladies’ title with the 14-year-old grey Olympic Lux gelding Mr Shakespeare. In claiming her first sash, O’Brien beat her sister Suzanne into the reserve spot with her riding horse winner, Hardingville Darcy.
While plenty of fathers, brothers, husbands and boyfriends are pressed into service for the show, there were few male winners – among the adults at least. However, James Clelland once again bagged the Horse of the Year Show Cuddy in-hand ticket with the family’s Welsh Section D stallion Budore Big Jim.