LOCAL producer Ann Lambert dominated the Irish Draught section of the RDS qualifiers held at Forth Mountain last Sunday, winning the six-year-old and upwards class with her stallion, Killinick Bouncer, and the younger division with a son of his, Killinick Splash.

“I’m glad they both got through as I’m fairly busy at home and wasn’t going to travel any further with them!” said Lambert. “The stallion is approved all ways now so I haven’t really done much with him on the competition front. For the craic, I took him to the Riding Club Festival at Stradbally where I shared the ride on him with my friend Sue Corish and we were both placed in some of the jumping classes.”

Tony Ennis judged the flatwork phase of the Draught qualifiers and his ‘winner’ of the older class on 58 points was the Bealagh Blue stallion Ballineen Its William. Unfortunately, the liver chesnut was one of five horses eliminated while Killinick Bouncer, who achieved the second-best score on the level of 55 points, recorded one of only two clears for a total of 215.

The other was posted by a mare from the Killinick country, Mary Doyle’s Stormy Madam, who qualified on 212 points under Gabby Clarkson. The seven-year-old Sir Stormy Breeze grey finished second at the RDS last August and third 12 months previously. Lesley-Anne Lyons secured the third qualifying ticket on a total of 208 with her own Rebel Mountain mare, Ballycoog Sea Rebel.

Killinick Bouncer was bred out of the Flagmount King mare Eileen Dun by Pennsylvania’s Leslee Asbury while Lambert’s father Jack bred the 2011 gelding Killinick Splash out of the Prospect Pride mare Killinick Pride, a half-sister to the junior eventer Gold Dancer (by Crosstown Dancer).

There were five clears in this class with three horses receiving 53 points from Ennis for their flat work. Dermot Molloy booked the second qualifying spot on his five-year-old Huntingfield Rebel gelding Menlough Diamond Rebel with Mark Cleary riding his own Rock Steady Diamond (by Rockrimmon Silver Diamond) into third.

“Sue made this fellow as she hunted him all season,” revealed Lambert of Killinick Bouncer. “He has won two riding club green horse events and has been around Monart loads of times in unaffiliated events. He is entered for the July sale at Goresbridge but we’ll see how things go. I’m taking a half-sister of his by Dignified (Van’t Zorgvliet) to the RDS three-year-old jumping qualifier at Warrington on Monday.”

Gloster Boy, a winner of the Connemara performance hunter championship at the RDS in 2011 and placed there twice since, will make another assault on the eight to 15-year-old class following his win in Sunday’s qualifier.

Ridden by Lydia Dawson for her mother Helena, the 11-year-old Laerkens Cascade Dawn gelding lost four of a possible 160 jumping points with a fence down. However, his flat work had so impressed Jill Spring that she had him on a score of 67, seven points clear of his nearest rival, Lucy Kelly’s Coosheen Stormboy eight-year-old Monivea Boy who qualified on a total of 220.

Also booking their tickets to Dublin were Katie McQuade’s 13-year-old Silver Heaven gelding Twilight Oscar (216.5) and Mary Jo Ryan-Browne’s 10-year-old Monaghanstown Fionn mare Creggrush Maggie.

Gloster Boy, who was bred in Co Offaly by Thomas Ryan out of a Ardravinna Andy mare, evented up to intermediate level last season but this year is being aimed at the European working hunter pony championships at Grantham. Following this event, the grey will stay on to compete at the British championships after which he will be sold.

In section A of the five to seven-year-old Connemara qualifier, Ballyalt Comet also lost four points in jumping but he too was well ahead when it came to his flat work under Michael Boyd and he qualified in first place on a total of 218.

The seven-year-old by Crusheen Comet is owned by Comber’s Derek and Ann Henderson who bred the grey out of their Moy Johnny’s Pride mare Snabo Lily. Ballyalt Comet won three EI 90 classes last year and was fifth on his only start this season at EI 100 level. Two ponies completed on 216 points in section B, with Ellen Tracey being awarded the first qualifying ticket on Jane Barry’s home-bred Killegar Cloonisle Gerry, a five-year-old grey gelding by Monaghanstown Fionn out of a Cuaifeach mare.

Others to have qualified at Forth Mountain were Gloria Nolan’s Kilmore Diamond mare Kilmore Mirah and Lorraine Coen’s Dooneen Just Joey gelding Droma Joey.