Home and away
US-based Irish rider Hilda Donohue has ridden all over the world in eventing, dressage and endurance, but she was thrilled to return home to compete in the hunter rings last week. “It was through a friend of a friend that I was introduced to Aubrey Chapman and he told me he had a lovely horse I could ride at the show,” she commented. “I last rode here probably 35 years ago, so it was lovely to be back to Dublin. My mum still lives here.”
Hilda’s mount was the four-year-old heavyweight Irish Draught gelding Glens Rebel, owned by his breeder Tommy Tutty from Co Wicklow. He is by Grandpas Rebel out of the Bellews Mate mare, Ballineddin Miss Cloneshanon.
While the stunning grey did not feature on the day, he has had a great run already this season with Aubrey, with numerous wins including the South-East Ridden Irish Draught Championship at Kilbride. He is now for sale. “Glen’s breeding goes back to Silver Granite, who I remember when I worked with Fintan Flannelly many years ago. We’ve gone full circle,” Hilda added.
A feature on Hilda will be carried in a future edition of the paper.
Mitten’s show miles
WEXFORD-based Steve Mitten clocked up some serious miles during the Dublin Horse Show. Having shown young horses there for owners for the past two years, this was his first time to show a winner.
Not only did he lead Bloomfield Inheritance to win and then take the reserve champion three-year-old, but he also showed the stablemate, Bloomfield Westaton, to place fifth in her three-year-old filly class.
To top it off, he then also showed Derry Rothwell’s Greenhall One Cool Cat to place second in his class and reserve champion yearling.
Mitten led Bloomfield Inheritance in the champion’s parade in the Main Arena. Derry’s daughter, Sharon, meanwhile, led Greenhall One Cool Cat on their lap of honour.
Steve’s partner is Rachel Welham who was kept busy turning out clients’ horses to the highest standard all week.
Lyons back in action
IT was lovely to see well-known show horse producer Michael Lyons back in the show rings last week.
He was sidelined for much of the summer with an injury but returned to show his wife Rachel’s Stonepark Sarsfield in the three-year-old lightweight gelding division. He also showed horses for some friends during the week.
“I’ve paraded in the Main Arena four times in recent years between champions and reserve champions and was going for the five-in-a-row. It didn’t happen!”
Rothwell scoops award
SPEAKING of Derry Rothwell, the Tinahely native was one of several breeders and producers presented with awards by the TIHA on Wednesday afternoon. Derry needs no introduction as a breeder of multiple Dublin champions.
Among his many broodmares is Greenhall Push Button, who was absent from the show but was represented by three progeny.
These included Ann Lyons’ winning yearling filly, Greenhall Caviar, as well as the Rothwells’ own three-year-old filly Greenhall Show Time (fourth in her class) and Jayne McConnell’s Greenhall Dark Knight, who competed in the workers and middleweight hunters.
Greenhall Push Button was champion mare and reserve supreme in 2019 when carrying a foal to Dignified Van’t Zorgvliet. That progeny is the now five-year-old Greenhall Press Button who was placed at Dublin as a three-year-old for her owner Patrick Murphy and is show jumping in the UK. Greenhall Push Button did not produce a foal this year, but is in foal to Julie Radden’s 2023 Croker Cup winner Galileo Dance.
Joan Bateman of the TIHA presented Derry with a smashing photo of Greenhall Treasure Island, another former Dublin champion who is flying the flag on the British showing scene for Jill Day and Robert Walker.
A winner already at Windsor, Great Yorkshire and the RIHS, the nine-year-old will now be aimed at HOYS. Like Greenhall Push Button, he is out of Greenhall Diamond Lady and from the same family as Greenhall Cailin Deas and Millennium Cruise.
Karlswood groom
sponsorship continues
CONGRATULATIONS to the 2025 Karlswood International Groom Award winners. Introduced in 2024, Cian O’Connor sponsored the €10,000 initiative once again.
For the second year in-a-row, it was McLan Ward’s French groom Virginie Casterman who took the top prize of €5,000.
Second and taking home €3,000 was Lisa Bushaway, groom to Ireland’s Niamh McEvoy, while in third was Kate Titulaer, groom to Britain’s Matt Sampson, who received €2,000.
O’Connor commented: “Thrilled to have Karlswood sponsor this fantastic class to reward the most valuable people of each team, our grooms - whose hard work, love and passion for our horses and determination are the foundation to each rider’s success.”