DENISE Colebrooke, chairperson of the Western Area of the Irish Pony Society, donned her judge’s hat on Sunday for a lengthy session at the Mullingar Equestrian Centre where the third round of qualifiers for the ridden and working hunter Connemara classes at Balmoral Show (May 14th to 17th) were contested in glorious weather.

Having hosted a horse qualifier for the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society’s 156th show at Gransha Equestrian on Saturday, Adrienne Stuart had the pleasure of owning a winner at the Fagan family’s Co Westmeath venue in the shape of Muckrim Niall who, partnered by Charlotte Harding, narrowly claimed the honours in the workers’ class for riders over 16.

Only a five-year-old, the successful Rusheen Boy gelding did a small amount of show jumping and working hunters last season when campaigned by Aine Biesty, qualifying for the green hunter final at Clifden. Bred by Larry Dolan at the Muckrim Stud in Renvyle, where his sire died in 2023, the grey is out of the Jacks Promise mare Classiebawn Rose.

Muckrim Niall has been through the Clifden sales ring at least twice, making €6,300 as a three-year-old in 2023 and €11,500 last October when, described in the catalogue as being 15.3hh, he was knocked down to Stuart.

Having to settle for second, but on the same score of 96 marks, was Wexford’s Jessica Murphy with Cathy Leggett’s vastly experienced, and successful, Doonreaghan Oak. This 13-year-old grey gelding by Newtown Moll’s Pride was bred in Co Galway by Ronan Nee out of Dusty Oak (by Abbeyfort).

Filling the other four qualifying slots were Rachel Moore Rooney on Margaret Thompson’s home-bred Grove Rosalind (94), a five-year-old dun by Ross Fear Bui, Michelle Geraghty with her own I love You Melody six-year-old mare Roosa Fionn (91), Bernadette de Smit with her own five-year-old Lough Fadda Rudi gelding Whitethorn Oscar (89) and Talitha Diamond with the family’s Killea Hero (88), a six-year-old dun gelding by Killilea Island.

Close call

One point separated the top two in the working hunter qualifier for riders aged 10 to 16. The winner was Eve Lindsay on her mother Joy’s seven-year-old Gwennic de Goariva gelding Glenomore Tom (92 marks), bred by Aiden Prior out of the Fernville Danny mare Rockwell Rosie.

This combination finished second in the EI80 (P) grassroots championship at Ballindenisk in late August last year and began their 2025 Eventing Ireland campaign with a sixth place finish at Tyrella 1 last month on their first start at EI90 level.

Asya Dixon was runner-up with her mother Alyson’s Donaghmore Melody Song (91), an experienced 10-year-old mare by I Love You Melody, who came fifth at Balmoral last May. The grey was bred by Eileen Horgan out of the Coosheen Stormboy mare Ballacurra Mary Ann. Emily Marnane rode her mother Mel’s well-known 16-year-old Fernville Danny gelding Danny’s Pride (89) to finish third.

Qualifying in fourth and fifth on the same score of 87 were Sophie Dolan-Harte with her father John’s eight-year-old Frederiksminde Hazy Match mare Curraghaleen Hazy Match and Maya Von Moll riding the year younger Plume de Kezeg gelding Tousist King. Daniel Kennedy secured the last ticket on board the five-year-old Knightebridge Prince gelding Cuba Prince (85).