“THE overall quality was outstanding. We were really surprised and we don’t mean that to be rude, but it was really delightful to see so many lovely horses. You hear that showing in Ireland is starting to focus on performance horses. You aren’t losing the quality, I think that would have been proven by today and, as Lucinda said, quality is really important to both of us.” This is what David Ingle said, summing up his and Lucinda Green’s impressions of their two days judging this year’s young horse entries.

Timpany Tiger Two, the three-year-old champion, rose to the top of the UK judges’ pack to take the overall supreme title and provide that coveted photo opportunity with the Laidlaw Cup for his Skibbereen owner Regina Daly.

“I spotted him in Balmoral as a foal. I just loved his presence, his movement and I always adored the stallion Tiger Attack. He reminded me of him and I said, ‘Oh my God, I’m going to get you!’”

Bred by Paula Howard, the young Timpany Tiger Two was produced in Ballynahinch by Paula’s longtime family friends, Davy and Gillian Lyons. He won his foal class that day in Balmoral, finished second at Dublin later that summer, while he and his Bienamado x Touchdown dam Dernahatten Out Of Touch placed third in the eventing section of The Irish Field Breeders’ Championship in the same Horse Show week.

“He was a very big foal and he took ages to mature. I just kept him until he was a three-year-old and Dublin was my ambition. I would sell him, but I don’t mind if I have to bring him back next year,” added Regina, who sent him to Brian Murphy and Aimee Stunt to produce.

Lightly shown, he finished sixth in the revised order of this year’s All-Ireland three-year-old final at Bannow and Rathangan.

With Brian on his phenomenal winning streak in the ridden horse classes, it was Regina’s sister Jenny O’Driscoll, who led the West Cork hope in the Laidlaw Cup decider.

Tim Martin, with his Laidlaw Cup young horse reserve champion Bobsleigh and his five-year-old granddaughter Isla Everden \ Susan Finnerty

Old head, young withers

The reserve supreme champion was Tim and Pat Martin’s Emperor Augustus gelding Bobsleigh, crowned as two-year-old champion the previous morning.

“They were both very engaged behind, so they really did use their hind end. Very clean limbs, very good models, they were light off the floor and both had good brains. They knew what they were doing and actually the reserve [Bobsleigh] was outstanding in its temperament. When it won its championship, it was there as if it were a 10-year-old. He had a good horseman with him,” observed David.

Tim, judging at Addington this week, was equally delighted with Bobsleigh’s result, saying: “This is the pinnacle, without a shadow of a doubt. To win anything in Dublin, especially a first prize is superb. To win a championship, even better.” He planned to bring his champion home for a break, drive him in long reins and return to Dublin next year.

Countryman, Gabhran and Mon Santa are just some of the horses his late father and RDS steward Martin Snr bred and put through his hands. Bobsleigh was bought from the Noctors, just two months before stallion owner Des passed away.

By the Gorey family’s Emperor Augustus and out of a Flagmount King mare, this winner of the opening two-year-old middle/heavyweight gelding class, missed out on the traditional championship by having an unrecorded third generation.

Write it down

Eventing legend Lucinda Green has ridden many types of horses during her career, from the wiry Australian stockhorse Regal Realm to big, strapping types and Irish-breds like Village Gossip. Was she looking for a particular type at Dublin?

“Quality will out. I’m keen to have quality because it underpins just about everything in life, not just horses. Some of them were wonderful-looking horses, but both David and I felt they were big, and you never know if they’re going to stop where they were or if they’re going to be too big.

“It’s a very hard thing for people who are looking at the results and knowing the horse well, thinking, ‘What are they looking for?’ We took some big ones, but some small ones. On the whole, for me, I like a little horse because I think they’ll stay sounder longer, but then again, big horses can be brilliant too,” she added.

Visiting judges, particularly those from the bloodstock world, using notebooks to keep track of horses often causes ringside debate. “It really helped us track where we were going, because we didn’t want to miss anything and we didn’t want to mix anything up. We wanted to be absolutely sure everybody got a fair go and were not missed,” Lucinda explained.

“Dublin is so special and we all try so hard to win anything. To get a red rosette is unbelievable,” said Regina, owner of this year’s young horse champion.