THE Skin Diary, which was founded in 2023 by consultant dermatologists, came on board this year as sponsors of both side saddle classes at the Dublin Horse Show and, as it was held on Ladies’ Day Thursday, the more traditional ladies’ class received a huge amount of publicity.

The traditionalists on all fronts would have been delighted with the result as Leonie O’Gorman topped the line-up of judges Michaela Bowling (ride) and Terry Chalmers (conformation) on her Traditonal Irish Sport Horse gelding Lackaghbeg Augustus Star while Lyndsey O’Brien finished reserve with the Irish Draught gelding Creevaghstables Mr Bloomfield.

Widely commented on for its style and glamour, the class had a perfect winning rider on this occasion as O’Gorman is a jewellery designer.

She may have missed buying the Emperor Augustus gelding when he won here as a three-year-old for Dessie Gibson, after which he was sold to England, but did so when Helen Cooke, who also rode in Thursday’s class, was selling him in 2022.

The combination have become very well-known since then on the showing circuit, in both astride and side saddle classes, while, as a member of Mullaghmore, O’Gorman competes the grey under Riding Club rules.

They had the perfect warm-up for Dublin the previous Sunday when winning both ladies’ classes at the AIRC North East Region Festival at the Cheval showgrounds where they also placed second in their lightweight hunter class to Linzi Sullivan and Foxcovert Dancingintherain who were reserve in the hunter mares’ championship at Dublin last Saturday.

O’Gorman missed last year’s show as she hurt her back but was fifth in this class with Lackaghbeg Augustus Star in 2023. They qualified for this year’s renewal at Charleville. The now 12-year-old was bred in Co Galway by Connie Joyce out of the Star Kingdom mare Keelans Star who was, in turn, out of a mare by Standard Bearer.

Lyndsey O’Brien qualified her own and her father Tim’s Creevaghstables Mr Bloomfield at Athlone but she hasn’t been doing as much showing this year as much of the fun of competing at weekends was heading off with her sister Suzanne.

The latter pulled out of the showing scene early in the year as she was pregnant; Lily Hannon being born four weeks ago, a sister for four-year-old Max.

Lyndsey instead found herself going to shows with her two-year-old daughter Alex Rose MacCurtain and the 27-year-old Sparkles.

Also grey like the champion, Creevaghstables Mr Bloomfield, who was third here last year, is a nine-year-old by Gortfree Hero. He was bred in Co Mayo by Peter McHugh out of the Clonakilty Hero mare Anthonys Choice.

Crozier wins intermediate

Armagh exhibitor Katie Crozier had a good Dublin with her own Darrowby Cougar on whom she finished fourth in Wednesday’s younger small hunter class before partnering the five-year-old black gelding, who has no recorded pedigree, to victory in Saturday’s intermediate side saddle class.

Crozier had to travel all the way down to Ballyfoyle to qualify with her champion while Co Westmeath’s Megan Connell, who finished reserve, had a much shorter journey to Athlone.

There, she booked her ticket on Toberpatrick Ruby as did Stephanie Moore on Dynamite Replay who was placed third by the sole judge, Dale Atkinson, on Saturday.

Toberpatrick Ruby, who was fourth in the older small hunter class on Wednesday, is a 16-year-old ISH mare by Rosheen Yeats out of the Clover Park mare Loughmogue Blossom. The chesnut was bred in Co Wicklow by Douglas Byrne.

While some will have been disappointed with their results last week having gone to the trouble of qualifying for Dublin, all riders in both classes have to be admired for helping achieve the aim of promoting, presenting and preserving the art of side saddle riding.