“Speechless!” was John Cusack’s reaction after his daughter Danielle and her fiancé Michael Egan won the coveted The Irish Field Breeders Championship with Hallowberry Destiny and her foal MD Sandyhill Sir Charles.

Continuing the trend of a good Dublin week for Mayo exhibitors, the Charlestown-based couple’s winning foal is by Clonaslee Captain Christo, the Captain Clover-Master Imp traditionally-bred stallion, owned by veterinary surgeon Danielle’s father.

Bought in Goresbridge Sales, the 10-year-old Ramiro B mare was in fact the first covered by the stallion and had qualified for last year’s Breeders Championship too, with a filly from his first crop. This year’s colt and his dam, that earned €5,000 on offer to the winner, had qualified at Athlone while Charleville provided the reserve champion, owned by Banner County newcomer Mary McInnerney. Her Max Naughty But Nice, a six-year-old home-bred Chacoa mare had a filly foal, Max Little Miss Perfect at foot. She is also from a second crop, this time of the now Irish-based Dutch stallion Tyson.

ROTHWELL’S FOUR

Third place went to the highest-placed of Derry Rothwell’s four finalists; Greenhall Catwalk, another making a first-time Breeders Championship appearance. The five-year-old Mermus R mare is out of one of the Tinahely family’s former Breeders Championship winning mares, Millennium Cruise and was accompanied by Greenhall Heat Wave, a colt by the Belgian-bred Dignified Van’t Zorgvliet.

This result was another bonus for Derry, who had also bred Dessie Gibson’s Greenhall Treasure Island. In a thrilling curtain-raiser to the Breeders Championship, the Island Commander two-year-old had swept all before him in the two-year-old, traditional and supreme young horse championships. Interestingly, he had appeared in the 2016 Breeders Championship final with his Colin Diamond dam, Greenhall Diamond Lady.

This year’s judges were Alain James and Stefaan De Smet, who had 17 finalists before them in Ring 1, lined with keen spectators.

TOP FINAL

“It’s the foundation of the business, seeing the quality mares and the foals they’re producing” said The Irish Field editor Leo Powell, commenting on the flagship broodmare and foal combination event.

First held in 1985, the combination championship was the brainchild of the late Thady Ryan.

“Talking to owners along the line, they’ve all said this is one of the best finals yet and also pointed out that the ring is thronged with people.

“It captures the imagination and it’s definitely for me, from the showing aspect of the Horse Show, the creme de la creme.”