Susan Finnerty

BALLINASLOE brought the 2014 agricultural show season to a close last Saturday when no less than five Irish Show Association (ISA) finals were hosted too.

Doubles and trebles were the order of the day, including Enniskeane exhibitor Kieran Fahey who scored his second All Ireland colt foal win here when his much-admired chesnut took the Gain Feeds/Garbally Oil title.

Having won here before with a Ghareeb colt in 2006, it was another Wexford-based thoroughbred stallion that provided Fahey with his latest victory. His purchase last year of Killinick Power, a Power Blade full-sister to Cuddy finalist Chantry Clover Girl, and in foal to the late Robin De La Maison paid dividends when the colt was promoted to the top of judges Joan Mahon and Maurice Wafer’s line-up.

Also moving up a place was Des and Margaret Jeffares’ reserve champion by the Dublin and Clonaslee All Ireland Irish Draught stallion champion Gortfree Hero, out of the Salluceva dam, Corrib Eva. This was the colt’s second All Ireland reserve place having already earned a blue rosette in the traditional foal final at Mountbellew.

Continuing the West Cork exhibitor’s winning streak in this year’s final were Leo Cahalane and Patrick Cronin, third and fourth respectively in the 16-strong field, with a pair of Emperor Augustus colts. Kieran O’Gorman took fifth place with one by his own thoroughbred stallion Munther and in sixth was Michael McDonagh with the third Emperor Augustus foal amongst the top-six.

Both judges were satisfied with the quality of their front line with Mahon seeing a future as an event or show horse for their champion.

Patricia Hoey and George Chapman faced more large fields in both Irish Draught foal finals, which are also part of Horse Sport Ireland’s national showing championship series. In the opening colt foal final, it was a double for the Holycross son, Inisfree The Holy Grail who sired the winning colt foal champion here for the second successive year. He obliged on this occasion for his owner Eddie Murphy and his champion is out of the Annaghdown Star dam, Inisfree Grey Knave.

Standing reserve was another stallion owner Tom Burke with a colt by his British import Barracaberry Orbit, by O’Sullivan and out of an All The Diamonds dam. Taking third was Gerry Ferguson’s foal by another relatively new addition to the stallion ranks in Harkway Lionhawk, while rounding off the placings were Maeve O’Meara, David O’Toole and Seamus Sloyan with their Castle Crest, Welcome Emperor and Fast Silver foals. Sloyan’s colt and his Dublin champion dam Elm View also won the new IDHS combination champion later in the day.

In the second Irish Draught foal final, Donegal farmer Jim McNulty’s filly by dual Dublin winner Cappa Cassanova out of the good winner Edenagor Wendy was crowned champion. 

Another of Inisfree The Holy Grail’s offspring, owned by Kathleen Cunney, was reserve and in third was Sean Noone’s Beechmore Barbi, one more finalist by an exhibitor’s own stallion. In this case, it was Noone’s Beechmore Silver Crest, approved at last year’s Cavan inspections.

A pair of Fintan Himself progeny filled two more of the top placings for Tom Mooney (fourth) and Ann Rabbitte’s Dublin champion (sixth) with Pat Murphy’s Windgap Blue filly slotted in between this pair in fifth place.

An alternative twist for an All Ireland final was a head to head championship between the colt and filly champions with McNulty’s filly getting the nod from the judges. “She has both quality and bone,” remarked Chapman, who also came in for praise from his co-judge.

“George was a gentleman to work with and it’s an honour to be judging an All Ireland final,” said Hoey.

McNulty, who covered three of his four Irish Draught mares this year, was delighted with his win. “The Draughts are at the bottom and can only go up from here,” he reasoned.

The West Clare cheer rang out when Timmy Foley’s Betsy completed an All Ireland treble for her Kildysart owner in the Gerry Stronge & John Harney donkey championship, judged by Paddy Joe Foy. Martin Joe Kelly’s Lady Dolly took the reserve title and third-placed Caroline Giles-Lee’s combination of Holly and her colt foal Malcolm also received the best-turned-out prize from an impeccably presented 14-strong field.

Continuing the homebred theme, the Rabbette family from Castlebar won the Ballinasloe Registered Connemara Pony Owners Syndicate final with their Castleside Paris. By their own Dangan Donal sired-Castleside Carrig, she was also a winner at Roundstone’s Champion of Champions show recently.

Ernie Somerville’s reserve champion choice was another homebred in this two-year-old filly championship was John Caldwell’s Letterdyfe Skyblue Alannah, by Moonlight Silver Shadow. In third was another of Castleside Carrig’s daughters, Addrigoole Serena, owned by John Hynes, ahead of Laura McWeeney’s pair, Mountdaisy Kate (by Tempo Active Atlas) and Kilnacappagh Blossom (by Coolin America).

Show champions included several more doubles at the country’s oldest show. The Newell family from Claregalway enjoyed a clean sweep when their Kilcahill Diamond, by Colin Diamond and her Financial Reward filly won the broodmare and foal championships, judged by Liam Cotter. And winning the champion filly title for Leaving Cert student Cathal Newell was their Bahrain Cruise yearling Kilcahill Lady Cruise, last year’s All Ireland filly foal champion at Moate.

Kevin McGuinness opted for Tiernan Gill’s Flogas Napoleon as the gelding champion from lightly-filled young horse classes. The Orestus three-year-old, shown by able deputy Edmund Hennigan, was reserve champion here last year.

McGuinness and Susan Oakes later selected Simon Harty’s middleweight winner My Kilmore Star as their overall hunter champion. The Castana seven-year-old was spotted by Harty at Dublin Horse Show two years ago and the versatile all-rounder also competes in dressage.

Val Noone repeated his 2013 Connemara championship win once again with his Crusheen Gipsy, a Monaghanstown Fionn half-sister to the good Connemara performance pony winner, Comical Con.

Once again a Welsh pony captured the in-hand pony tricolour and this year it was the turn of another Cork exhibitor, Martin O’Sullivan who won with the eye-catching Welsh Section B Hilin Renoir, by Carwood Orpheus.

Tommy and Jane Gibbons’ Springbrook Toby won his second ridden championship for his Claremorris connections.

“He’s part of the furniture now,” remarked Tommy about their consistent 13-year-old winner, by Sparnbrook Blue Gem.