THE last of four qualifiers for the Connemara ridden and working hunter classes at Balmoral Show (May 13th to 16th) was hosted on Sunday by the Fagan family at their Mullingar Equestrian Centre where, while it remained cold throughout the day, the weather thankfully improved following a very wet morning.

The numbers might have dropped slightly since the first leg at The Meadows on Sunday, March 1st, but there were still 29 entries in the flat class for older riders.

Twenty-seven of these appeared before the day’s judge, Michael Harty, whose winner was the 2025 Dublin Horse Show champion, Eastlands Jollybrae (Eastlands Harleybrae - Eastlands Dunrose, by Lockinge Frederick).

Bred in Scotland by John and Dianna Staveley, the grey gelding was ridden, as usual, by Charlotte Smiley for her sister Kathryn. The pair, who purchased the winner as a three-year-old, had been extremely busy the previous day at Knockagh View, where the Irish Pony Society’s Northern Area, of which Kathryn is chairperson, ran their Spring Show in similarly inclement weather.

“We’ve taken it slowly throughout with the pony, who did three or four shows in England last year before qualifying for Dublin and then going on to Dublin itself,” related Kathryn, who combines teaching with working two days a week at the dog grooming business she and Charlotte run in Carrickfergus. “This was his first outing since then and qualifying for Dublin will again be our target after Balmoral.”

Chloe Lacey qualified in second on Emma O’Gorman’s nine-year-old gelding Drumree Dandy Man, ahead of Aimee Stunt on another nine-year-old gelding, Skellorn Super Ted, Jessica Byrne riding the seven-year-old mare Laheens Shine and Erin O’Neill with the eight-year-old gelding Beola Boy.

Busy Balmoral

Lacey, who is Customer Services Manager with our sister paper, the Irish Farmers Journal, will be busy at Balmoral as she is also riding Ballylee Lemon in the four and five-year-old class and has entered a four-year-old in the small hunter section on the Wednesday. She is producing four other qualified Connemaras, who will be partnered by other riders.

That quartet includes the 2022 gelding Ballylee Carvalho who, on his competitive debut, finished second under Leila Oakman in Sunday’s four and five-year-old qualifier. Here, the winner was the Liam McAuliffe-bred year-older gelding Castletown Shade (Moonlight Silver Shadow - Lady Datty, by Patty’s Sweet Dream), who was ridden by Kate Lawlor for her father Brendan.

Also qualifying here in third, fourth and fifth places were Eimear Coleman on the five-year-old mare Clounanna Lady Flora, Sadhbh O’Connor with the four-year-old gelding Whitehill Clover Paddy and Tekka Whelan with the four-year-old gelding Glenlo Moe.

Second in his class at Dublin to Eastlands Jollybrae, Emma Walsh’s six-year-old gelding Emlaughmore Mistro (Dunloughran Troy - Emlaughmore Girl, by Callowfeenish Grey) will be heading to Balmoral, having won Sunday’s Under 16 rider class in the hands of Lyla Vile. The grey was bred in Co Galway by Bartley Conroy.

Also securing tickets by right out of this class were Hector Navalon on the 10-year-old gelding Manor Cascade, Cecily Guinness Von Maltzan with the 18-year-old gelding Dunlewey Ringmaster, Katie Surgenor with the six-year-old gelding Caoranbeg Marble and Emily Payne riding the seven-year-old mare Cloonan Oopsadaisey.