Smyth/Gibson championship double

RIDER Jamie Smyth and Newtownards owner Hilary Gibson combined to land a championship double at last week’s Balmoral Show.

The pair first struck in the Main Arena on Thursday afternoon when the five-year-old Newmarket Venture gelding Mr Venture Elm, who was bred in Co Limerick by Seamus Murphy out of Sunny Elm (by WRS Sun Rich), was crowned champion middleweight hunter. Munther’s King, who was ridden for his Co Cork owner/breeder Kieran O’Gorman by Rosemary Connors, stood reserve.

In the P&O Arena on Friday afternoon, the pair landed the cob championship with the lightweight class winner Highview Forthriver, a six-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding by King Alton who was bred in Co Roscommon by Mary Kenny out of her Sammys Pride mare, Corker China Girl. The reserve champion was the Maxi class winner Randalstown Rigsby, a seven-year-old dun gelding ridden by Lisa Mitchell Talbot for Elaine Buller.

Edgewater Godfrey takes title

WHILE horses had to qualify for the Irish Draught performance championship at last week’s Balmoral Show, there was no such process in place for the APR and Connect Tech Services ridden Irish Draught section which was held late on Wednesday afternoon in Horse Ring 1.

Selected as their champion and reserve by Rachael Cox and Kerrilee Wilson were the pair who had topped their four and five-year-old class. These were the Quinn and Kenny-bred Edgewater Godfrey, a 2021 Grandpas Diamond gelding out of Edgewater Lady (by Gurraun Zidane) who was ridden by Cindy Wagner for Jason Dunphy, and the Amy Grady-ridden, Michael Grady-owned and bred Murrisk Ashlawn Dancer, a four-year-old by Farmhill Highlander out of Ashlawn Star (by Agherlow).

Sarah Brittain stood top of the line-up in the six-year-old and upwards class on board Sarah Carlile’s Altona Sly Mist Bouncer, a six-year-old grey daughter of Killinick Bouncer.

Racehorse to riding horse

A REPORT on the Downpatrick Racecourse racehorse to riding horse class, which was held in the Main Arena at Balmoral Park on Friday afternoon, appears in Margie McLoone’s View From Above column on page 16.