KILTEALY producer J.J. Bowe didn’t have the best of experiences in the performance Irish Draught section at the RDS last August but, as he had already purchased two horses for this year’s Dublin Horse Show, he decided to press ahead and try to qualify them.

This he managed to do on Saturday at Forth Mountain, where Louise Lyons finished first and second respectively in the younger horse qualifier on Bowe’s Rosscahill Lad and Elm View Hero.

Both four-year-old geldings had finished third in their divisions at Scarteen two weeks previously.

The winner, a grey by Ginger Holly, was bred in Co Galway by Patrick Sweeney out of the Powerswood Purple mare Rosscahill Roan. The runner-up was bred in Castlerea, Co Roscommon by Seamus Sloyan out of his well-known Elm Hill mare Elm View, a winner at Dublin in 2010, 2013 and 2014. Elm View Hero, a chesnut son of Clonakilty Hero, won his colt foal class at the RDS in 2012.

The third qualifying ticket in this class was claimed by the five-year-old Fast Silver mare Dungar Quick Silver who was ridden for her Dromore, Co Down owners Amanda Jane Wright and Mark Dobbin by David O’Connor.

Gabby Le Guay comfortably landed the qualifier for six-year-olds and upwards on John Cleary’s 2010 Rockrimmon Robusticus mare Dolly Diamond Dancer, who was bred in Co Clare by John Shannon out of the Crosstown Dancer mare Maggys Diamond. This is the family of the four-star show jumper Wotsamillion.

Seven points adrift of the winner, Bernard Cummins partnered his own Agherlow six-year-old Ballymountain Jimmy D to finish second, a position the combination also filled at the Eventing Ireland one-day at Crecora recently in the EI100 Amateur class. Patrick Whelan took time out from riding racehorses to place third with Mary Doyle’s regular Dublin performer Stormy Madam.

CONNEMARA SUPPORT

Once again, there was a massive entry in the Connemara qualifier with both classes being divided in advance.

Section A of the five to seven-year-old division was won by Hannah Gordon on Liam Lynskey’s Brackagh Dream. Although by Lynskey’s stallion Black Shadow, this five-year-old, who finished second in his flat class at Dublin last year to the ridden champion, was bred near Athlone by Eugene Moran out of the Westside Mirah mare Creggan Lady.

Barry Higgins secured the second RDS ticket on his own six-year-old Cornarone Hazy Lad gelding Splainc. Both ponies jumped clear rounds in this section, as did five others. There were eight clears in Section B with the top seven all completing on the full 160 points for jumping.

However between the seven there was a wide range of marks on the flat, with the winning combination of Emily McGowan and her own Rathbane Legend being awarded 57.5, five points ahead of their nearest rivals, Nicola Walshe and her six-year-old Mirah’s Oyster Bandit gelding Ballinguilkey Oyster.

The winner, a seven-year-old Tulira Robuck gelding, who was bred near Ardrahan by Padraig Gardiner out of the Crusheen Comet mare Ballyglass Lily, won an EI90 class at Scarvagh last season and his class at Balmoral in May. The grey’s Killinchy stable-companion, Benny Liath, won his qualifier at Scarteen.

Also from Co Down, Rachel Moore secured both RDS tickets in Section A of the eight to 15-year-old Connemara qualifier.

She too won with a grey by Tulira Robuck, Laura McVeigh’s Hilltop Foggey who, bred in Ennistymon, Co Clare by Peter O’Rourke, is a full-brother to the Grade A pony Poulabrandy King (now jumping in Italy).

A nine-year-old mare, Hilltop Foggey completed on a total of 226, one point ahead of the Moore-ridden Bracklin Owen, an eight-year-old Carrig Thunder gelding owned by Alison Thompson. Six of the 14 starters jumped clear but four failed to complete.

In Section B, from a similar number of starters, six ponies failed to complete the Derby track but here four jumped clear.

This quartet naturally included the winner, Agharanny Minstrel, and second-placed pony, Grey Smoke, who both completed on a score of 224 points.

Being closer to the optimum time in the jumping phase, Edwina O’Connor took the honours on the Sean Hynes-bred stallion Agharanny Minstrel, a nine-year-old by Castleside JJ out of the Thunder Bay mare Silver Mint. The grey, a regular visitor to Dublin, finished fourth in his class at the RDS last August.

The year younger Grey Smoke is yet another animal qualified for Dublin by the busy Alicia Devlin Byrne. Theresa and Michael Clarke’s grey gelding is by All Smoke out of a Corbally Con dam.

The flat judges in both the Irish Draught and Connemara qualifiers on Saturday were Anne Kirwan and Trish Lalor, while Anna Kehoe, who had been on duty at the young event horse qualifier at Forth Mountain three days earlier, was back at the venue to judge all jumping rounds.