THE recent hot spell came to an abrupt end at Ballina on Sunday evening when thunder and lightning caused the understandable cancellation of some remaining classes. Not before Nadine Carey and Deirdre Murnane’s Sacre Bleu won the Jack Dodd tribute class, sponsored by Mercury Renewables and HiFive Clothing, which also carried a training bursary with Galway show jumper Michael Duffy.
Des McDonnell had a top day winning the broodmare championship with his Draught mare Silver View (Fast Silver), bred by Seamus Sloyan and then the young horse championship with his home-bred Conticco three-year-old, Lucky Jim.
Des’s brother John was reserve with his CBI Ice Queen (Baltic VDL), last year’s winning mare in The Irish Field Breeders’ Championship show jumping section at the Dublin Horse Show. With no foal at foot but back in foal to Vancouver, the reigning champion will sit out this year’s Breeders’ Championship dance.
Presenting a new cup for the broodmare championship was Michael Boland. “My dad - Michael too but known far and wide as Michael ‘Bunny’ Boland - had been involved in Ballina show all of his life. He passed away in November last year, but he was always a big show man and we’ve been to all of the shows with him.”
Similar to A Hero’s Welcome story at the Westmeath/Offaly IDHBA branch show, Lucky Jim had a rocky start in life. “The mare was in labour for two days, but we managed to deliver him with the help of our good vet James McGrath and the foal was born with a prophet’s thumb,” he said, pointing out the indentation, said to be a lucky omen, on his champion’s neck. “We named him after the vet!”
Pat Hoare’s reserve champion in the young horse section, another qualifier for the Ireland West championship series, was Martin Murphy’s CG The Sweetest Thing (Hardrock VDL), fresh from her top-six placing in the Galway Crystal All-Ireland three-year-old final at Bannow and Rathangan on Thursday.
Pony ring
Over in the pony ring, Jimmy Canavan was recording his 492nd judging engagement. “I’ve enjoyed every day I was judging,” said the Moycullen man, who selected Cathy Hughes’ Dolly (Matchmakers Lad) and Noel Brett’s Corclough Ginger (Corclough Munhin) as his Connemara champion and reserve.
“She’s made a return to the showring after a break of 11 years and was a previous Ballina champion. Many of her offspring have gone on to be ridden and in-hand champions,” said Dolly’s Westport owner.
Just as Noel Brett is busy preparing for his local show (Erris, Sunday, July 27th), Riverstown show secretary Marian Judge took a day off from preparations for today’s (Saturday) show to attend Ballina, where her Waterglades Heidi (Chinook Limelight), shown by Eoghan McMullon, retained the in-hand pony title for a second year.
Matching that result was Annette McMullon’s Hollycreek Sir Sydney (Astral Heartbreaker), who stood reserve for a second year and with daughter Caitlin in the saddle.
Lauren Sweeney’s bid for a back-to-back Ballina treble with Sidney was foiled by Brendan Dolan’s Roscrib Harry (Ringfort Cruise).
“He’s a 10-year-old, bred by our dear friend Neil Henry,” said Brendan’s wife Deirdre, who produced the upstanding grey she describes as, “a real character who absolutely loves the show ring and strutting his stuff”.
Less strutting, more diving for shelter when the skies opened later in the evening. Some quick thinking by steward Brian Finan in requisitioning the empty pony ring and delegating Jimmy Canavan to judge some ridden classes had gotten the horse section completed, although the loose jumping class had to be cancelled in the torrential rain.