Margie McLoone

FOULKSMILLS’ John Roche is better known for his in-hand stock but was very much in favour of ridden classes at Balmoral Park last Thursday after Melanie Horsman partnered his Assagart Mistress to victory in the North Down Marquees ladies’ astride championship.

Sounding much like The Terminator, first-time Balmoral Show exhibitor Roche commented: “I’ll be back! What a day we’ve had and what a great show – it’s just so relaxed and everyone has been so helpful.

This mare, who is by Kings Master, won the Limerick Lady back in 2012 and it was Melanie who suggested that we bring her out under saddle.

“We bred her ourselves out of the Bonnie Prince mare Assagart Millenium and her full-brother, Assagart Legend, who was second in the middleweight class at Dublin last year, was sold through Katie Jerram to Queen Elizabeth. Her full-sister, Assagart Dawn, will be heading for the three-year-old fillies’ class at the RDS in July.”

RESERVE CHAMPION

Horsman partnered the substantial six-year-old Assagart Mistress to win the older ladies’ astride class on Thursday morning ahead of Yvonne Pearson’s Billet Doux.

The latter, a 12-year-old gelding by Ricardo Z, was judged reserve champion by Jane Hunter and Alycia Collins.

Accountant Jenny Williams from Dungarvan, Co Kilkenny, won the four and five-year-old class on her husband Ian’s Grove Hill Boy on whom she finished second in the older lightweight class on Wednesday.

The five-year-old chesnut gelding, who was reserve in the Pembroke Cup at Dublin in 2014, is by the thoroughbred Painter’s Row and was bred in Co Clare by Cyril Conway out of the Coevers Diamond Boy mare Grove Hill Damsel. Portglenone exhibitor Sally Glass took second with her five-year-old Bahrain Cruise gelding Cruise Brigade.

REPEAT SUCCESS

Also judged on Thursday, the Event Technical Services riding horse class saw a repeat success for Lesley Webb and Laura Smyth’s 10-year-old bay gelding Carnsdale Peacemaker who, last August, went on to be RDS champion.

Athenry’s Amory McMahon finished second her with own eight-year-old Kyllachy mare Via Del Corso who has been off the track less than a year.

The chesnut won once and was placed many times on the flat.

She was also placed over hurdles and fences.