KILKENNY producers Brian Murphy and Aimee Stunt are bringing 11 horses to Balmoral next week including Regina Daly’s Irish Sport Horse gelding First Ruler who, after a busy couple of days, left last weekend’s Northern Ireland Festival in Cavan as the ridden horse supreme champion.

On Saturday morning, the four-year-old was partnered by Lyla Vile to win the novice Intermediate show riding type class and the novice intermediate championship.

That evening, they finished first reserve in the supreme novice championship behind the Luke Coen-partnered Wellerman and the Shane McKenna-ridden Marry That Moon Shadow.

Brian Murphy took over the ride on Sunday, this combination first winning their small riding horse class and the riding horse championship.

It was then on to the Gold Ring for the evening performance where Daly was present to see Murphy and First Ruler claim the ridden horse supreme championship. Sophie Orr finished reserve with her ladies’ champion, and side saddle class winner, the 11-year-old Connemara mare Tirnaskea Starstruck (by Kays Moonlight), with, as first reserve, Katy Roarke and the ridden cob champion Kilbegley Lad, a nine-year-old black gelding.

First Ruler, who was bred by Christopher Curtis, is one of just four horses, all four-year-olds, registered on CapaillOir by Anarchist (by Chill Out) while his dam is the Puissance mare Keelnacally Carnival Puiss (by Puissance) whose previous produce include the Metropole mare Finsceal Endeavour (CCI3*-L).

“We bought this fellow as an unbroken three-year-old from Anthony Sheridan just before Chistmas and then broke him in January,” revealed Murphy. “This was just his third show. He won at a training show in Boley and then went champion at the IPS show in Barnadown.”