IF you want to see our native breeds compete in performance classes then you need to grab a perch around Ring 2 early on Wednesday morning as judging gets underway at the Dublin Horse Show.

Britain’s Joli Smith and Terry Chalmers will assess the 24 Irish Draughts qualified in two classes where it’s strange not to see the name of J.J. Bowe listed as an owner with multiple Patrickswell-prefixed horses.

Sarah Maxwell, who won the four and five-year-old class last August on Carrafarm Constellations, qualified at Orchard Lodge with the 2020 Gortfree Hero gelding Passions Storm who she owns in partnership with Colin Barrett and Zoe Brownlow.

Also qualifying at Orchard Lodge were two four-year-olds owned by another Dublin regular, Tom McNamara. The Craughwell exhibitor, who will no doubt be grooming, owns the Cappa Aristocrat gelding Shanbally Nightcap, who will be ridden by his daughter Maria (a winner here in 2023), and the Gortfree Hero gelding Shanbally Hello Sunshine Honey who will be partnered by Co Galway-based Scottish native Duncan McFayden.

Diarmuid Ryan qualified two horses at Tullylish, Simon Kelly’s four-year-old Farmhill Highlander gelding Clogher Highlander and my favourite, Dermot Molloy’s Two Mile Nigel.

That five-year-old King Vinny chesnut was third in this class last year, third in his heavyweight hunter class on the Friday and saw out Sunday as the reserve champion working hunter of the 2024 Dublin Horse Show He is giving the flat class a miss this year.

There are no stallions among the younger brigade but two qualified for the six-year-old and upwards class.

The first of these is Liam Lynskey’s multi-discipline DS Ballagh Bouncer (Hannah Gordon), a 13-year-old Moylough Bouncer grey who was third here last August, fourth in 2023 and third in 2022.

Katie Walsh qualified at Orchard Lodge on Katie Stafford’s chesnut Crosstown Pride nine-year-old Dennistown Prince Pride, another paying a return visit to the Royal Dublin Society showgrounds.

Penny Murphy’s Kontiki, who finished second here 12 months ago, qualified again at Tullylish. The 11-year-old Killinick Bouncer grey and his regular partner, Charlotte Harding, also made it through to the final of the Intermediate working hunter pony class.

In the enforced absence of Sammy Weston, Harding has also qualified Charlotte Moore’s nine-year-old home-bred mare Tullys Cherry (by Skip And Sea) for the older ID class.

The McDonagh family’s Hollypark yard will be represented by two five-year-olds and one older horse, Hollypark Finn, a six-year-old Castlegar Cool Mist grey who was fourth here last August. With her daughter, Ciara O’Connor, and her niece, Jessica Murphy, having multiple rides with chances during the week, Edwina O’Connor will be out to make the most of her appearance on her mother Noreen’s 11-year-old Keamore Diamond Clover.