Margie McLoone

THE Birchhill Stables’ duo of Cyril Carty and his daughter Maeve were rewarded for Saturday’s long journey from Kilchreest, outside Loughrea, to the Tullymurry Equestrian Centre near Downpatrick when Maeve won the four and five-year-old performance Irish Draught qualifier on Cappa Aristocrat.

Having attended the earlier legs, the stallion’s owner, Jimmy Quinn, of the Cappa Stud, missed this final qualifier as he was on a business trip in China, eliciting some comment that he should perhaps consider giving Dublin a miss as well!

“This fellow will take all the beating at the RDS even though he’s only riding seven weeks,” commented Carty senior, driver to this final qualifier. “He’s a real athletic type and is improving with each outing. However, he needed the experience of the earlier qualifiers and has done plenty of schooling at Tom McNamara’s and at Flowerhill.”

Reserve to his stud companion, Cappa Cassanova, in the Irish Draught stallion championship at Dublin last August, the five-year-old Cappa Aristocrat, a son of Star Kingdom, was bred near Ballinasloe by Pascal Claffey out of the Carrabawn View mare Bellview Golden Girl.

One of five to jump clear in his class, but on a winning flatwork mark of 61.5, Cappa Aristocrat qualified ahead of the Balmoral four-year-old winner, Pagestown Harmony (219.5), a Crosstown Dancer mare ridden by Niamh Grimes for Samantha FitzSimons and Marie Claire Travers.

Also securing a Dublin ticket on Saturday was J.J. Bowe’s Clew Bay Bouncer gelding Cloonan Hector who finished on a total of 215.5 under Damien McCormack.

Seventeen of the 29 entries failed to start in this class, while all but five of the 22 listed in the six-year-old and upwards section stood their ground, four failing to complete. The winner was the Creevagh Grey Rebel mare Tullys Sashsa (210.5), ridden for her Cookstown owners, Jane and Robert Huey, by Casey Webb, who competes with the eight-year-old at novice level under Eventing Ireland rules.

Tullys Sasha, who also qualified for Dublin last August, was bred in Co Antrim by Charlotte and Nigel Moore out of the top Crosstown Dancer mare Tullys Valley.

Leading Northern show horse rider cum eventer Lesley Webb partnered Lynsey Wylie’s cob Tommie Tucker, a seven-year-old gelding by Holycross, to place second on 207, while, up from Bruree, Sophie Mullane claimed the third and final ticket with her own six-year-old Rockrimmon Silver Diamond gelding Ballyrimmon Copper (206).

“The standard of Irish Draught being produced through these qualifiers is improving each year,” commented Harold McGahern, who oversees the qualifiers on behalf of the RDS.

“It will, in time, do much to rehabilitate the reputation of this native breed as a usefully functional animal in any performance arena. Judicious selection is the yard-stick for any breed improvement programme and this template provides a valuable industry standard that will withstand any critical test.

“The prize-winning Draughts which qualify for the RDS are very commercial entities. Breeders should carefully note their pedigrees and consider the merit of using stallions which excel in these classes.”

CONNEMARA

While standards have also risen consistently over recent years in the Connemara qualifiers for Dublin, it was disappointing to see so many ponies eliminated on Saturday, although only two in Section B of the five to seven-year-old class won by Joanne Quirke with her own Gwennic Cloud (211.5).

Event coordinator of the recent Tattersalls International Horse Trials, Quirke purchased her Gwennic de Goariva stallion from his Co Offaly breeder, Fr Michael Scanlon, in April along with his full-sister, who was sold to England last week. The pair are out of the Silver Cloud mare Lady Cloud.

“This is his first year competing,” said Co Meath-based Quirke of her seven-year-old, who is on the market. “His first public outing was in the qualifier at Scarteen where he jumped a clear.”

The Belfast team of owner Andrea Hawe and her rider daughter Emily took the second qualifying ticket with the seven-year-old Coolfin King gelding Crannard King Of Hearts, who had a fence down for a completion score of 208.5.

In Section A, well-known Co Carlow producer Gloria Nolan secured a second Dublin ticket when recording a comprehensive win on another seven-year-old dun, Castleside Maguire (218 points).

Not too surprisingly, this gelding was bred at the Castleside Stud in Co Mayo of Michael Rabbette and is by Castleside JJ Junior out of Castleside Dimples, by Castleside Carrig. Co Wexford’s Orla O’Brien claimed the second ticket with her mother Deirdre’s seven-year-old Glenayre Silver Fox gelding Gilobrien (213.5) who has over 70 SJI points.

Half of the 16 starters in the eight to 15-year-old class failed to complete before jump judge for the day, Jonny Hagan, with only one, Aimee Donohoe’s owner-ridden Dundrum (by Clough Joey), retaining all 160 jumping points.

Unfortunately a poor flatwork mark of 49 saw him finish fourth, but qualifying, behind the winning combination of Sive Ryan and Sandra Hatton’s Glencarrig Sea Biscuit mare, Glencarrig Jenna (218). Others heading to Dublin are Liam Lynskey’s stallion Black Shadow (Hannah Gordon) and Anne Gilroy’s Killaan Blue (Ciara Gilroy).