IRISH-bred horses were again well to the fore over a packed six days of showing in four rings at the Longines Royal International Horse Show at Hickstead last week.

A genius at pulling off the ultimate supreme show, Alistair Hood clinched his eighth Royal International supreme horse title with Our Cashel Blue. Lady Carloline Tyrell’s charismatic lightweight winner and cob champion never missed a beat at every pace to wow both the crowd and supreme judges Ann Brickell, Bob Ellis and Holly Smith to earn 29/30 marks.

“Blue was really on song today and the more the crowd cheered, the better he went,” said Hood.

Hard to believe, that both horse and rider have made an amazing ‘comeback’ from being side-lined due to illness last year when Hood needed to recuperate after suffering a heart attack and Blue underwent surgery to remove a tumour.

With team Hood and team Ross fielding all five of the supreme contenders, this was not the time to blink as both Jayne Ross also pulled out all the stops to take the reserve supreme horse title with the winning heavyweight and champion hunter Twinshock Warrior (Bernard).

Completing the supreme horse championship ride-off on the final afternoon were Oli Hood, who rode the championship riding horse Chainmail for Lady Caroline Tyrell, Jayne Ross with the Wallace family’s champion hack Forgelands Hyde Park, and Sofia Scott riding Louenna Hood’s champion coloured Springpond On The Razzle.

Hunter champion

The main ring hunter championship judged mid-week again followed the Dublin format with the three ride judges Guy Landau (lightweights), Nick Collins (middleweights) and Jenny Banks (heavyweights) all riding each other’s top two horses before consulting with conformation judge David Walters. It was a close-run thing, and no-one could have predicted that the champion rider had not even ridden in any of the classes.

Step forward Vicky Smith, who made the most of her late invitation to ride Jill Marsden’s seven-year-old Twinshock Warrior, who has great jumping breeding by Ricardo Z out of a Chillout mare and he galloped his socks off to secure the tricolour. Marsden found the upstanding bay gelding turned out locally as a three-year-old and she has given him plenty of time to mature.

It proved a good hunter championship for producer Jayne Ross who elected to stay on Kay Campbell’s lightweight winner, the Verdi seven-year-old Temple Ogue who recently took the supreme hunter accolade at the recent National championships and they stood reserve here.

Also coming into the final championship reckoning was Robert Walker riding Jill Day’s second-placed lightweight Viewpoint (Loughahoe Guy), who was bred by Sean Jones, and Day’s middleweight winner, the Power Blade five-year-old Northern Pride who was ridden in the championship by Sarah Walker.

Scottish producer Kirstine Douglas also brought forward the second placed middleweight SVS Camelot (Arkan) and Lucinda Martin joined the party with the second placed heavyweight Honour N Glory (Bellews Mate).

It proved a close decision as the judges went into their traditional huddle and it was value that won the day. “This was a high-class championship, but how difficult is it to find a true heavyweight with plenty of limb and bone that can gallop like this champion,” said Jenny Banks.

Gilsenan masterclass

Rory Gilsenan received some of the loudest cheers of the week when the Co Meath rider clinched the working hunter championship riding Jane Collins lightweight winner Atlantic Slim.

Bred by David Browne, the 10-year-old Atlantic Slim is by Atlantic Sparket out of Atlantic Amanda. “This was a super, flowing course to ride over with plenty of space to open up. We’re not show jumpers and as long as I point this horse in the right direction, he’ll have a go at jumping anything in front of him,” said Gilsenan.

Despite still undergoing treatment for an aggressive brain tumour, Gilsenan produced a masterclass to win the lightweight division and the tricolour.

Standing reserve was Jill Wormall’s second placed lightweight Ballymurphy Alice (Cougar). After riding the third placed lightweight Vulcanite (Jumbo), Katy Green produced the only clear round to win the heavyweight division riding her Royal Windsor winner I’m A Diamond (Ricardo Z).

Following a two-year absence from competing, Greer Taverner made a welcome return to showing and she rode Clare Levy’s The Politician to stand top of a strong line-up of 24-small hunters.

The Politician was maintaining good form here, as the OBOS Quality 11-year-old finished third in the amateur small hunter final for Clare’s daughter Hannah Green.

In the amateur hunter finals, former Dublin winner Chantilly Bojangles (Kroongraaf) topped the lightweight section for Lucy Lockwood, Diane Brash headed the middleweights with Remember Rossmore (Rubin Star N) and Dragons Den (VDL Arkansas) topped the heavyweights for Helen Cowley.

Fresh from their successes at the National hunter championships where they were reserve supreme, Francoise Babbington and Seabourne Silent Valley headed a strong line-up of ladies’ hunters. The pair also stood third in their lightweight class earlier in the day.

After a 15-year absence from showing due to family and business commitments, Francoise bought her Mourne Mountain 11-year-old from Garry Merton following a tip off. “I always loved riding side saddle, but never had the right horse until now,” said Babbington.

Cob classes are always marathon affairs at Hickstead and the tradition was maintained on the final day.

Our Cashel Blue and Alistair Hood were outstanding winners of the opening lightweight division, but there was quality and quantity down the line.

Standing next for Simon Reynolds was the six-year-old Copenhagen with third place going to Anne Leaver and Whitegate Dazzler.

It proved a winning double for the Hood family, as Oli Hood topped the heavyweights riding the Byford Family’s Master Of The House, this pair going on to take the reserve. Taking second place was Janet Smithers and Wolf and moving up a good few places to take third was Irishman Val Sheehan riding his nine-year-old skewbald Boraceforshort.

Isabella Mears finally secured her first Royal International victory when Brookdale Limited Edition topped the maxi cobs. “Archie has the most fabulous front and a canter you could sit to all day,” said Isabella. Archie has also made a winning debut in ladies’ classes this year with his producer Danielle Heath.

After three well-supported amateur cob finals, Nicola McConville clinched the championship with her lightweight winner Randalstown Rolex.

Heading the heavyweight division was Emily Proud and Randalstown Top Notch and standing top of the maxi class was Nina Armstrong-Finlay with her great campaigner Miramax.

Supreme ridden pony

India Till claimed the supreme ridden pony title with her mother Henrietta’s champion show pony and champion part-bred Arab, Drakemyre Puttin On The Ritz, with the reserve going to Amber Thorpe riding her BSPS open Heritage champion Highland Chief Of Talisker.

Standing third was Leyla Wheelwright and her working hunter pony champion Star Smokey. Ruby Ward took the reserve working hunter pony accolade with her 133cm winner Noble Peppermint.

In the supreme pony championship, Meg Edmondson used all four paces of her intermediate champion Leaventhorpe Gold Rush (571/Paddy) to impress the judges and they were duly awarded 19 marks.

On her first ride at Hickstead and just two months into her partnership with her 153cm class winner, Carnsdale Cover Story, Morgan Ross produced a stunning gallop to take the show hunter pony tricolour and they took fifth place in the supreme. “I clicked with him straight away and we just love his gallop,” said Morgan.

Owners Paddy and Jayne Ahern first bought the Irish-bred Gallant Cavalier as raw five-year-old straight off boat from Shelly Argyle four years ago for a client and Team Ahern have produced him throughout. When he came up for sale, the Ahern’s bought him to stay on the yard and have loaned him to Morgan for the season.

Always a force to be reckoned with, William Pittendrigh and Silver Lough again produced one of the most fluent clear rounds to win the intermediate worker championship on the final day.

Silver Lough is a seven-year-old pure-bred Irish Draught by Clew Bay Bouncer out of Inisfree Lecarrow Ruby was bought from Katrina Braithwaite three years ago.

“I liked the look of him, and it took me a while to persuade Katrina to sell, but all the effort paid off as he has proved so versatile and consistent,” said William.

Native ponies also turned out in force to contest the Ponies (UK) and BSPS Heritage divisions and it was Annabel Drake who took the PUK junior championship riding the nine-year-old Connemara mare Tyan Ma’Lady (Maccloonisle).

Taking the top three places in the Heritage Connemara and New Forest division were Glenmore Gwennic (Glenmore Abbey), Glencarrig Rocco (Glencarrig Prince) and Boyne Girl.

Standing reserve to Megan Cookson and Louvaine Rooney in the Pretty Polly home-produced championship was James Whiteford riding the Killacloran Fuinnseoig 11-year-old Connemara Fuinseoig Boy.