AMONG the many from Ireland who attended the recent Horse of the Year Show in Birmingham was Elaine Sherrard whose interest was centred, not just on Sunday’s show hunter pony section, but specifically on the 133cms class.

The Co Antrim breeder had three representatives in the division: Parkhill Ronaldo who finished second under Phoebe Thomas, Parkhill Beckham who was third in the hands of Pippa Duncan, and the Anna Tuer-ridden Parkhill Jacanna, who finished 10th.

Elaine, who works full-time in the civil service, travelled over to Birmingham on the Friday in the company of her mother Margaret, leaving her father Joe to look after the mares and youngstock at their Templepatrick home.

“I still own Parkhill Jacanna, who is produced for me in England by Sarah Parrott. Anna has done a great job with the mare but, sadly, HOYS was their last appearance together as Anna will be over age next year so we now have to find a new jockey.

“The three ponies are all by Cusop Jacamar out of Iorsa Solitaire (by Oakley Bubbling Fun), who I purchased, along with her daughter Iorsa Little Gem, on the Isle Of Arran many, many years ago. Both mares have been very successful, producing a host of winners.

“Parkhill Cantona, one of 10 foals by Jacamar out of Iorsa Solitaire, won as a four-year-old for me at Dublin, where he was ridden by Kathryn Moore (now Graham), and, when sold, won the 133cms class at HOYS. That win really established me as a breeder in the eyes of the English, who started ringing me up to see what I had at home.”

Elaine used to ride ponies herself and, not being overbig in stature, decided to go down the breeding route when overage rather than get into horses.

“Jacanna, who is eight, is the last foal out of Iorsa Solitaire and the plan is to take her home in another couple of years.

“Currently, I’m breeding out of her 17-year-old full-sister, Parkhill Lady Jayne, whose three-year-old, Parkhill Van Persie, by my own stallion Centurion Bolero, has recently been sold to Louise Caulfield in Cheshire.”

A huge fan of Manchester United, Elaine has been involved in ponies for a very long time as her late grandfather, Robert McConnell, bought her the lead rein pony Mountcaulfield Lady Ruby when she was two!

Down in Tipperary, breeder Michael Grace of Moanfin House Stud, Nenagh was celebrating the success in the intermediate show riding championship of Rathnaleen Gothic.

Reserve here last season, the multiple champion is a nine-year-old by Grace’s homebred stallion Rathnaleen Sinatra out of the unraced Presenting Black, who is by Presenting out of a Black Minstrel mare. The eye-catching Rathnaleen Gothic was intermediate champion at Royal Windsor earlier in the year.

Further south in the county, they were also celebrating a successful HOYS with Bansha racehorse trainer David Marnane and his wife Melanie extremely proud of the achievements of their daughters Rianna and Amber, who were making their competitive debuts at the show.

Having enjoyed a superb 2016, Rianna and Gold Digga VI finished fourth in the 143cms working hunter class, which was won by the champion, Gallant Prince. Amber fared even better when placing third in her 138cms riding pony class with the much beribboned Sharlen Gone With the Wind.