JAMIE Smyth claimed the first tickets on offer in two of the three ridden Connemara classes last Saturday at Rincoola, where the McGahern family hosted the final qualifier for the Gallagher Dublin Horse Show.

His wins came on ponies owned and produced by Aoife O’Connor and her daughter Sadhbh, the first being the Eddie Kelly-bred 2021 gelding North Cottage Silver JJ (Abbeyside Silver - Cloonmore Cailin, by Fredericksminde Hazy Match), who topped the final line-up in the four and five-year-old class.

Qualifying behind the winners were Katie Crozier on Norma Spurr’s home-bred Cashelbay Rocket gelding Making Masterful, Rebecca Penny with Kathryn Smiley’s Glencarrig Camelot mare Blakehill Zara, Rachel Moore Rooney on Pauline McLaren’s home-bred Ross Fear Bui mare Crossowen Ava Bui and Leila Oakman with Chloe Lacey’s Blakehill Ballylee Storm gelding Ballylee Carvalho - all four-year-olds bar Crossowen Ava Bui.

Smyth completed his double in the six-year-old and upwards class for riders aged 17 and over on the Francis Murphy-bred seven-year-old mare Glenville Gleoite (Coosheen Stormboy - Clooneybreen Peigin, by Currachmore Cashel).

The remaining tickets were awarded to Abby Kennedy Dowling on the six-year-old Banks Timber gelding Seafield River Banks, to Oakman again with Anne Nixon’s 2020 Bunowen Paddy gelding Cornfield Fusion, to Julie Finnegan on her own 14-year-old Gleann Rua Maxwell gelding Fiery Diplomat and to Elly-Rose Dixon, who placed fifth on her own six-year-old Mirah Junior gelding Knockagonnell Applejack.

“Jamie rode ‘Barney’ (North Cottage Silver JJ) last year and won the qualifier at Orchard Lodge on him,” reported Sadhbh O’Connor. “We were delighted when he agreed to ride him again this year in the qualifiers, as I have another pony already qualified for the class.

“The grey mare (Molly Mae at home), who won the over 17 class, is only back in from the maternity wing 10 days ago, when I decided to give the last qualifier a shot as she looked very well. She is scanned in foal, so won’t be able to attend next year as hopefully she’ll have a foal at foot! I already have a pony in this class also, so we were delighted and grateful to Jamie for taking the reins on her.”

Last year, Glenville Gleoite had a colt by Glencarrig Knight, whom the O’Connors have retained.

It was a busy weekend for Amira Curran, who first landed the young riders’ class here on her father Daryl’s well-known nine-year-old gelding Caherpuca Chappy (Coolin America - Loughfadda Darling, by Rebel Justice), who was bred by Michael and Kendra Rabbitte. The grey has an excellent record at Balmoral where, back in May, he won his ridden class as did North Cottage Silver JJ, who was then partnered by Sadhbh O’Connor.

Following this success at Rincoola, it was off to England for Curran, who won a Horse of the Year qualifier at the Staffordshire County Festival on her Team Ahern-produced 148cm show pony Shildens Royal Affair.

Delighted to have bagged the final tickets for Dublin were Lily Morgan with the 10-year-old home-bred Westside Mirah mare Mirah de Goariva, Emma Cassidy on the nine-year-old Gwennic de Goariva mare Rathcline May, Sarah McGuire with the seven-year-old Lightning Star mare Star In The Night (who previously qualified for the performance section) and Faye Brennan with the eight-year-old Bohery Ronan gelding Bohey Ronnie.

The judges on Saturday were Maura Rooney and Joanne Quirke.