AN excellent weekend for the Shane McKenna Show Team commenced on Saturday at the Flavours of Fingal County Show in the grounds of Newbridge House, where the team principal claimed the ridden championship in Ring 2 on the cob class winner, Rochestown Royal Lily.

Marie Ahearn’s six-year-old maxi, an Irish Draught mare by Penmerryls Rhythm And Blues out of Rochestown Madison (by Welcome Diamond), was making her second public appearance. The previous weekend, the Jeremiah O’Donoghue-bred chesnut had made her debut at Charleville, where she also won the mixed cob class.

Co Waterford-based McKenna also won the riding horse class on his mother Janet’s Greenhall Top Shelf, who was second in the small riding horse class at Balmoral and won and went champion riding horse at Cork Summer Show last month. The five-year-old chesnut by Financial Reward was bred by Derry Rothwell out of the Greenhall mare Greenhall High Tide. The Irish Sport Horse gelding will be for sale after Dublin.

Chosen as their reserve champion by judges Victoria Teuton (ride) and Jenny Connell (conformation) was the Gerrardstown Stud-sponsored Irish Draught class winner, Cloonan Hector. Owned by Damien McCormack and Chris Carter, and ridden by the latter, the 14-year-old Clew Bay Bouncer grey had earlier won the heavyweight hunter class, ahead of the Kevin McGuinness-partnered Antusail Ciunas, who also finished second here.

Teuton and Connell didn’t just have a large number of horses to judge in the amateur class, but they came in all shapes and sizes.

If only to ensure a peaceful trip home to Co Limerick, it was good to see Lyndsey O’Brien join her sister Suzanne on Saturday’s scoresheet, when winning with (Creevaghstables) Mr Bloomfield, on whom she later finished third in the Irish Draught class. Bred in Co Mayo by Peter McHugh, the 10-year-old grey by Gortfree Hero is out of the Clonakilty Hero mare Anthony’s Choice.