A MOVE in recent years to a new date and last Saturday’s glorious weather helped make the 188th Iverk show one of the best in the south Kilkenny fixture’s history.

In front of a home crowd, Eddie Moloney won the lion’s share in the Connolly’s Red Mills Leinster Summer Tour on board his own Pashmina K. The Kilkenny combination proved the only ones to break the 38-second barrier when they crossed the line in 37.20 seconds to take the Iverk round and add to the consistent 10-year-old mare’s record in this series.

By the Selle Francais sire Harlequin Du Carel out of a Master Imp dam, she and Moloney were second on home ground at the Leinster Summer Tour’s round at Warrington Equestrian Centre.

Waterford’s Francis Connors tuned up for his clean sweep at Limerick the following day when he slotted into second place with the John Douglas-owned Cavalier Royale Clover and also finished fourth with Una Flynn’s well-bred Argento Cruise. By Nick Skelton’s Hong Kong Olympic horse Arko III, she is the second of the Cruising mare Cruiseway’s offspring in Connors’ string, alongside Hyperion.

Taking third in the 24-strong jump off was Vickie Anderson with the 10-year-old Zack.

Another feature event was the Horse Sport Ireland All Ireland driving championship, which was won this year by Fermanagh enthusiast Alex Presho.

In the show rings, the main event was the All Ireland broodmare and foal championship which resulted in a win for Leo Cahalane from Skibbereen. His six-year-old mare Automatic Mover by the Holstein stallion Limmerick out of the Colin Diamond dam, Foggy Wood. Automatic Mover’s first foal, a colt by the busiest thoroughbred sire in the 2013 foal figures, Emperor Augustus, also won his class.

In second place was Callan couple’s Martin and Majella Fahey’s Tully’s Kimberley. By the late Crosstown Dancer, her smart Coroner colt also qualified for the Gain Feeds All Ireland colt foal final in Ballinasloe.

Another recent The Irish Field Breeders Championship finalist, Derry Rothwell’s Greenhall Indicator was the second of Limmerick’s prizewinning progeny. She also had a thoroughbred-sired foal at foot as her filly is by the five-star rated event sire Frankfort Boy.

WINNING TREND

Continuing the Cork exhibitors winning trend, Denis Collins took the young horse championship with his three-year-old Shannondale Sarco filly, Forans Maltilda. In reserve was Dessie Gibson’s Rose of Iverk two-year-old winner Moonlight Serenade, by Porsch.

Balmoral winner Mo Chara won the ridden hunter championship for Pat O’Loughlin from Gowran. The pure-bred Draught by Grosvenor Lad first won the heavyweight class with Brian Murphy on board and then stood champion ahead of Robert Hyde’s The Publisher.

Michaela Steyn-Keating took the in-hand pony tricolour with her Welsh winner, Wian William; Gorey owner Melissa O’Connor won the ridden championship and Saidbh Sweeney partnered Magic Patience, by Jack Of Diamonds, to take the working hunter title.