BREXIT, Covid-19 and diesel pump woes were set aside as exhibitors from both sides of the Irish Sea travelled to Birmingham for the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS), back on the calendar after its cancellation last year.

And it proved a vintage week for Irish-bred winners and native breeds, peaking on Sunday night when the Sean Jones-bred View Point was crowned the supreme champion horse. (See 88-89).

View Point, a 10-year-old Loughehoe Guy gelding repeated the exact same winning formula at HOYS as he had done at Royal Windsor back in May by first winning his lightweight hunter class, followed by the ridden hunter championship.

Bought by Jill Day and Tony Lloyd as a foal and now produced by Robert Walker, View Point led a clean sweep by Irish-breds in the show hunter classes.

“His record would suggest, year in year out, that he is a horse of a lifetime,” said Walker, who was winning the title for the first time since 2007.

Camilla Stowell Davies home-produced Glenkeeran Dance In The Deep’s second place to View Point resulted in another treble for ‘Fintan’s sire as the blue ribbon won by this Marie Melvin-bred sealed Crosstown Dancer’s HOYS leading hunter sire title for a third year.

Another Banner County breeder Noel Daly bred the heavyweight winner, Dublins Streetfighter, originally produced by PJ Casey to win as a four-year-old at Dublin in 2016. By Camiro de Haar Z, Vanir Kamira’s sire, the HOYS winner’s dam is the Allthruthenight mare Sarah’s Pet.

Sandwiched in between the Banner-breds was Bloomfield Eloquence. Bred in Wexford by MJ Kavanagh, the Watermill Swatch grey out of the Carrabawn View dam Gurraun Broadway won the middleweight hunter section.

Found by David Tatlow as a two-year-old for Daphne Tierney, he was the champion ladies hunter at Balmoral and Gorey champion in 2019 with producer Jane Bradbury before his sale last year to current UK owner Angie Coggins. Now produced by Lorraine Homer, the pair were called forward as reserve champion to View Point in Friday night’s hunter championship in the main arena.

Hayden Hankey won back-to-back working hunter titles, this year on Lucy Greenwood’s Ricruiso, another bred in Co Clare by Anita Browne. By Ricardo Z out of the Cruising mare Molougha Cruise, the 12-year-old’s show jumping experience paid off as he was one of a six clear rounds over the 1.20m course.

Second in this opening day championship was Paulette Cooper’s consistent Classic Vision gelding MJM Laszlo, bred by Janet Murray, recording his third HOYS second place in this championship in as many years.

Irish raiders

As reported last week, the evergreen Blackwood Fernando, bred by Patrick McNamara, and Alicia Devlin Byrne won the over 143cms section in the Mountain & Moorland working hunter classes. Pure-bred Connemaras scored further notable wins, including Glenmore Miss Mirah, who finished sixth in that class and went on to win the open 153cms working hunter class.

Qualifying for HOYS was always an ambition of her rider Emily-Jayne McPolin. As it is the pair’s last year in 153cms classes after three successful show seasons together, the dream began at the BSPS summer championships where they won their qualifying ticket.

A first-time HOYS competitor, Emily Jayne and the nine-year-old roan mare, bred by Jeann McClancy, bowed out in style with this win, to add to a successful Balmoral outing for the pair.

By Westside Mirah out of the Murphy Rebel mare Citywest Heather Belle, ‘Marley’ was one of just two ponies to record clear rounds. After her success, Emily-Jayne paid tribute firstly to her parents and ‘transport manager Dad’, Jason, for driving her and sister Sarah over to compete at UK shows, and Marley, saying: “She would jump the moon for you. She goes all out and tries hard and as this was her last year in the plaited class, we wanted to do really well.

“While I was delighted to come sixth the day before, I could never have imagined we’d do so well today,” added Emily-Jayne. Both she and Sarah also rely on Joanne Jarden’s invaluable expertise.

Emily-Jayne McPolin and the Connemara pony Glenmore Miss Mirah won the open 153cms working hunter class at HOYS \ 1st Class Images

Another home-produced combination to bow out at the top were Mollie Mae Jeffrey and her nine-year-old Connemara Woodfield Jovial Joker (Furbo Finnard), bred in Co Sligo by Donald Clarke. Winners of the M&M workers class here two years ago, they completed a rare double by winning the overall working hunter pony championship too.

Two more Irish native breed winners at HOYS this year were the heavyweight cob winner Bobbi Dazzler and another pure-bred Irish Draught in the maxi cob champion, David and Elizabeth Bury’s Lord Alexander.

This Gortlea Ruler chesnut was bred by John Burke in Athenry and was another to notch up a back-to-back double having already won this title two years ago. Both are past graduates of Keith Martin’s K&K Cobs stables in Aughrim.

Irish Draught winner

Also flying the Irish Draught flag was Will Pittendrigh’s Silver Lough, a pure-bred Draught that events up to BE novice level. He won the intermediate working hunter pony section for his owner-rider and then the reserve working hunter pony title. By the late Clew Bay Bouncer and out of Inisfree Lecarrow Ruby (Crannagh Hero), Silver Lough was bred in Co Mayo by Aideen Murphy.

Other notable Irish placings in the show hunter classes included a blue ribbon for Sadhbh O’Connor and Runnon Ruby Tuesday (153cms), fifth place for Katie Wyse and Lindeth Talisman (143cms) and Amira Curran and Colby Voyager, ninth in the 133cms class.

Another young IPS competitor making her HOYS debut was Kate Lawlor who placed eighth with Royalview Tara in the 128cms show pony final.

The former Cuddy final for in-hand hopefuls, now renamed the Price Family championship, saw a win for Cork’s Regina Daly with her Tell Me Another. The three-year-old, by Future Illusion out of Kiss N Tell, a half-sister to the stallion Stormhill Miller, was bred in Devon by Cathy Wood and produced by Steve Pitt.

Third in the pony equivalent was Noel Noonan’s home-bred stallion Manor Duke, by Currachmore Cashel out of the Teglstrup Duke dam Banks Vanilla, shown by Joe Burke and one of the Irish contenders that qualified at the IPS championship show.

Sunday night belonged to View Point. “Showman, a heavyweight, won the supreme for me in 1996. Michael Murphy [from Clohamon Stud] buys our foals every year and now we’ve got all Irish horses!” said winning owner Jill Day.