TWO Irish Sport Horse geldings were crowned champion and reserve in the show hunter championship held in the international arena at the Horse of the Year Show, Birmingham last Friday evening.

Judging for the weight classes, in which there were many Irish-bred horses, got underway just after 7am when it was the lightweights who first came before north Co Dublin’s Kevin McGuinness (ride) and Britain’s David Dixon (conformation). Topping their final line-up was the ISH gelding Shanaghan Velvet.

Three ISH geldings produced by Robert Walker for Jill Day were placed in the first four in the middleweight section, the winner being their 10-year-old grey gelding Crystal Cove II (Balou du Rouet – Greenacres Quality, by OBOS Quality 004) who was bred in Co Meath by Michael Callery. The Walker/Day representative IJ Countryman went through to the evening championship as winner of the heavyweight class where Jamie Smyth finished fifth on Debbie Harrod’s six-year-old ISH gelding BBK Flynn (by Arkan).

Against some experienced opposition, it was the novice Shanaghan Velvet, produced by rider Will Morton for owner Amanda French, who was crowned champion ahead of fellow six-year-old IJ Countryman.

A bay by the ISH stallion Lagans OBOS Quality, Shanaghan Velvet was bred by well-known Co Down veterinary surgeon Esther Skelly Smith who attended the show along with her parents William and Louise leaving husband Timothy Smith at home to mind the horses and sheep. The HOYS champion is the first foal of his dam, the Clerkenwell mare Shanaghan Charlotte and one can read all about the champion’s damline in Susan Finnerty’s Breeders’ 10 column in page 83.

Third in his class here last October, IJ Countryman, who was traditionally bred by well-known show horse producer Kieran Ryan, is by the Irish Draught stallion Lionwood Kinsales Lad. His dam, Clonhaston Lilly, is by Kings Master out of a Ghareeb mare out of a Sky Boy mare. The Ryans have a four-year-old full-brother to IJ Countryman who will be aimed at Dublin next year and a three-year-old half-brother by Gortfree Lakeside Lad.

In a first for McGuinness, he also judged Sunday’s heavy horse of the year championship. He and Britain’s Dale Atkinson (conformation) came down in favour of the six-year-old Shire gelding Cardington Billy Bob whose owner/rider Emma Green judged at the Flavours of Fingal Show in early July.

Co Meath’s Susan Oakes was ride judge for Wednesday’s side saddle championship which was won by the 10-year-old ISH gelding Bloomfield Greystones (Crosstown Dancer – Bloomfield Rebekah, by Sea Crest) who, owned and ridden by Britain’s Rose Bailey and Olivia Minihane, was traditionally-bred in Co Wicklow by Daphne Tierney.

On Thursday, Co Wexford’s Aubrey Chapman was ride judge for small hunter championship which was heavily populated by Irish-breds. Although no breeding was printed in the catalogue for the Jayne Ross-ridden winner, we can probably take it that Alan Marnie’s six-year-old grey Highview Overado is the ISH gelding by Cavalier Land out of Redinagh Black Jack (by Jack of Diamonds) who was bred in Co Wexford by Seamus Leacy.

It’s disappointing to see so many cobs and coloureds listed in the catalogue with no recorded breeding as no doubt many were bred in Ireland.

Highlights of this year’s show will be broadcast on Channel 4 on Sunday, November 4th.