Route team capture games win

THERE was plenty of cheering in the Main Arena on Thursday morning during the UMEX Pony Club games.

The winners, on 39 points, were the Route team of Maria Carr (Henry), Jessica Cohen (Misty), Ben McKechnie (Crispin), Henry Woodrow (Sarah) and Lucy McKechnie (Dax).

They had the result sewn-up before the final game, the Big Sack.

The Route, who are trained by Simpson McKay, claimed the red rosette ahead of the North Down (29), Iveagh (23) and Mid Antrim (19) Branches. The young riders were delighted to have the opportunity to compete at such an important show and in the venue’s Main Arena.

Donkeys popular

THEY are not always appreciated by the horses and ponies competing at Balmoral, but a favourite with spectators each year are the Lowe Rental donkey displays.

There were 19 donkeys in the displays last week, with a variety of turn-outs. There was a carriage once used by Queen Victoria which was pulled by Ashley Brown’s Blackberry Firecracker and a gig pulled by Anne Brown’s Charlie. Tristan Wallace (14) drove a pair of donkeys, Denis & Dougal of Kinedale, to a Mourne slipe with milk churns and grain.

The display also featured a number of donkeys with creels and a variety of implements. The Brown family, who, like all others were dressed in period costumes, showed off their Precision Sower which had been built in 1880 and was pulled by Malachy. Rosettes were presented by the President of the Royal Ulster Agricultural, Cyril Millar.

Déjà vu

ALTHOUGH there was only one Moira Cosmetic Dental private driving class this year it was a case of déjà vu when it came to the presentation of sashes by the sponsor’s Julie Wilmot.

The champion was once again Jonathan Carnduff’s 14-year-old Dutch-bred mare Zantinka M, a chesnut by Larix who was the sole entry in last year’s over 138cms class, while James Baillie’s gelding Chesney, another chesnut, stood reserve.

To little surprise, the champion and reserve in the Moira Cosmetic Dental hackney championship came from the pony class and judge Malcolm Salter, a multiple national champion in Britain, stuck with his original placings.

The class winner and recipient of the Carplant Trophy as champion was William Trimble’s 13-year-old black gelding Heartland Advantage, a son of Dun-Haven Truly Awsome, with the Sloans’ Heartland Elmo, an 11-year-old by Heartland Bust Your Buttons, standing reserve.

George Cunningham won the horse class with his 11-year-old mare Luddington Isabella.