ANYONE who attended Killyleagh Show last Saturday, or has even just seen photographs from the venue, won’t be too surprised to learn that when the result sheets got back to the secretary’s tent they were mainly illegible if not mulch!

There was a less than auspicious start to the fixture when, on Friday, a gust of wind caught hold of the show’s marquee, buckling it in the process and resulting in one of the main organisers, Paula McCarthy, breaking her arm. The committee here is made of stern stuff however and all, including McCarthy, were on site on Saturday morning and dealt as best they could with the very challenging weather conditions.

“Amanda Torrens’s wonderful land at Ringdufferin on the edge of Strangford Lough was formerly part of a golf course,” commented McCarthy. “Consequently, it has been very well drained and maintained over a long number of years to provide the best possible going for such an event. There was actually talk earlier in the week of watering the competition rings!”

While detailed results proved impossible to produce, we do know that Daisy Murphy, eight-year-old daughter of Olympic event rider Joseph Murphy and his wife Jill, who live close to the show site, won the working hunter pony championship on the 15-year-old bay mare Bonecastle Lass. Bea Browne filled the reserve slot on Dartry Ranger. The champion ridden pony was the Mandy Boyle-owned, Chloe Rooney-partnered Connemara gelding Fairyhill Markle, a seven-year-old grey by Monaghanstown Boy.

Champion of the working hunter division, as judged by Brian Murphy (ride and conformation) and Brian Clinghan (jump), was the Katie Lee-partnered 13-year-old Wolftone mare Muckno Magic while the ridden hunter champion, as judged by Clinghan (conformation) and Philippa Baird (ride), was the middle/heavyweight class winner, Lachain Ór, a four-year-old Lagans OBOS Quality gelding ridden by Grainne McParland. Julie Graham partnered the reserve champion, the lightweight class winner Drumlanes Belle Of The Ball, a seven-year-old bay daughter of Lislap Benedict.

On such a dreadful day weatherwise, thanks were extended most sincerely to all the judges, stewards, course builders, arena parties, etc who put in hours of work and to the sponsors who supported the show.

It was a never-to-be-forgotten day for Ballynahinch’s Eva Morton who, riding at her first show, won the family pony class on Toffee; for members of the East Antrim, East Down and Iveagh Branches of The Pony Club who played mounted games and, it appears, mud-sliding games; and for those who competed in the hobby horse classes.

Given the conditions, one of these young riders used her older hobby horse, keeping her new one for later in the season!