BALLYNAHINCH’s Rachel Moore Rooney spent a very successful few days at last week’s Gallagher Dublin Horse Show, especially in the hunter championships in the Laya Arena on Saturday morning, when she came so close to claiming the supreme with Carnally Arizona.

She had earlier won the mares’ championship on that four-year-old’s stable-companion Drumlane Kate who, in Ring 2 on the Thursday, had carried Moore Rooney to a well-received victory in the ladies’ side-saddle class which was judged by Britain’s Michelle Underwood (ride) and Ann Bassett (conformation).

Siobhan English has covered Drumlane Kate’s pedigree and career to date in detail in her hunter report, but just to mention briefly that the five-year-old Je t’Aime Flamenco bay was home-bred by her owner, David Sloan, and that she qualified for Dublin at the Armagh County Show in Gosford Forest Park in early June.

Gowran producer Brian Murphy, who, too, had an excellent week and won the supreme on Saturday with the heavyweight BBK Flynn, had to give best to Moore Rooney in the ladies. Here, Stephanie Moore rode his charge Ballyconnigar, a five-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding by Dignified van’t Zorgvliet, to finish second for staunch yard supporter, Amanda Benson.

The Craughwell father and daughter team of Tom and Maria McNamara were knocking on the door throughout the week and here finished third with Shanbally Nightcap, a five-year-old Cappa Aristocrat gelding who, the previous morning, had finished fifth in the younger performance Irish Draught class.

Kudos must go to Emily Kate Robinson, who finished sixth here on the French thoroughbred A Plus Tard, the 2022 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner who she has transformed since his racing days ended at the 2023 Christmas Festival in Leopardstown. They qualified for Dublin at Charleville.