IN spite of a very poor weather forecast, a large crowd descended on Kilronan Equestrian Centre on Bank Holiday Monday for the Friends of St Luke’s Charity Reunion Show.

The show had been rescheduled from early April, much to the delight of riders who were keen to test themselves and their ponies over the Dawson family’s Derby track. This comprised 22 jumping efforts including two water complexes and a farmyard complete with animals.

For the first time, the show staged a Clifden high performance qualifier where the 13 entries were judged in jumping by Philip Scott and on the flat and for conformation by Denise Norton. Their winner was Phyllis Jones’s Rocky Cashel who was ridden, as usual, by Antonia de Burgh. The 11-year-old Currachmore Cashel mare, who was second in the older Connemara performance championship at Dublin last August, was bred in Co Galway by Eamonn Burke out of the Mervyn Kingsmill mare Dooneen Heather.

Sandra Hatton’s Glencarrig Jenna, a seven-year-old dun mare by Glencarrig Sea Biscuit, finished second under Sive Ryan ahead of Claire Devlin’s well-known 18-year-old Ferdia gelding Blackwood Fernando.

The latter’s rider, Alicia Devlin Byrne, started the day by winning the first class, the Connemara performance Derby, on Susan Denham’s home-bred Bertraghboy Beau Geste, a five-year-old Gwennic de Goariva gelding out of the Callowfeenish Mairtin mare Maoilisa.

This class was judged by Norton as were the next four in the Derby arena. Her mini champion was the in-form 80cms class winner, Dun For Now, who rounded off an excellent weekend for the Hancock family from Bagenalstown, Co Carlow.

The 17-year-old dun gelding was partnered by Tiggy Hancock whose sister Lucy won the pony class at the Tattersalls international horse trials on the Connemara Newtown Westie. Both ponies are owned by the girls’ mother Jane who was delighted to see Tiggy being presented with the Collen trophy.

Reserve mini champion was Geraldine Gormley’s Summerwood Kerry, winner of the 60cms class. The 17-year-old mare was ridden in competition for the first time on Monday by Ally Gormley (13) who, as a member of the Ward Union Branch, plans to ride the grey in Irish Pony Club one-day events during the summer.

CHAMPION

Scott judged the 90cms and 1m classes and his champion, and winner of the Carvill trophy, was Countess April Merveldt’s Loughwell Bobby who had claimed the 90cms class under Shona Daly Lynch. Another by Currachmore Cashel, the nine-year-old was bred in Co Meath by Edward Duffy out of the Abbeyleix Owen mare Loughwell Rose.

This was the rider’s third time to be presented with the Carvill trophy, her previous winners being Clonross Gizelle and Bob Marley. In Monday’s championship, Daly Lynch stood ahead of Bob Marley on whom she had finished second in the 1m class to Yvonne Byrne’s My Rockstown Two (Leah Heffernan).

The show hunter championship was won by the local combination of Ciara Mullen and her mother Rufina Shiel’s 153cms class winner Slieve Bloom Barney.

The eight-year-old by Streamstown Larry was bred in Co Laois by Joseph Conroy out of Sea Katie (by Dr Slattery). Reserve was the 133cms class winner, Bronheulog Sunny Boy, a 10-year-old Welsh gelding by Barkway Malabou who was ridden for Limerick owner Liam Ruttle by his daughter Carol.

Melvyn Chadwick’s Mountain and Moorland champion was the Dartmoor pony Dykes Diplomead, ridden by Hugh O’Connor for his mother Aoife to win the first ridden class. The combination also won the open ridden class ahead of the reserve champion, their stable companions, Ballylee Castle Prince and Sadhb O’Connor.

In the concluding supreme championship, Dykes Diplomead stood reserve to Slieve Bloom Barney.