THERE were a couple of contrasting results at the second of the Gallagher Dublin Horse Show Connemara performance hunter qualifiers held at Scarteen last Saturday.

The judges on duty on the flat for the eight to 15-year-old class were Liz O’Connor and Anne Croome Carroll, with the latter then joining forces with Carol Quish for the younger pony class.

As on the previous Tuesday at the Ryan family’s much-loved venue, Audrey Hannan was the jump judge while Betts Coleman scored those forward for rhythm and fluency in this phase.

The greatest margin of victory was recorded in Section A of the eight to 15-year-old class, where Junior international event rider David Kiely amassed 247 marks on board PJ Hegarty’s stallion Rosedale Casper (Turloughrevagh Star - Barna Lass, by Robe Thunder).

The 10-year-old, who has 370 ShowJumping Ireland points to his credit, was bred in Co Galway by Alaoise Halpin. Amelia Durkan bagged herself another Dublin ticket when second here on the 2016 Classiebawn Blackjack gelding, Busy Bee (231).

Shared the honours

The judges’ scores were well scrutinised in Section A of the five to seven-year-old qualifier to find a winner but, in the end, two combinations shared the honours, having completed on 240.5 points apiece.

The much sought-after tickets were therefore awarded to the five-year-old gelding Glenford Yogi (Westonhouse Straboe Bobby - Glenford Katie, by Granahan Champ), who was ridden by Becky Scott for Athenry owner/breeder Áine O’Callaghan, and to the Fionnan Finnegan-partnered six-year-old Glasson Dexter Tulira (Glasson Dexpress - Clareview Lana, by Tulira Robuck), another home-bred gelding.

We saw that Glenford Yogi’s grandam, Glenford Lola (by Ardravinna Andy), who was O’Callaghan’s foundation mare, died earlier last week at the age of 24.

Section B of that class was won by an 11-point margin by the already-qualified pairing of Pauline Dahill on William Griffin’s six-year-old Ross Fear Bui gelding Hogan’s Charm (234.5).

Tickets

The Dublin tickets therefore went to the 2020 Silver Shadow gelding Cranard Lockdown Shadow (223.5), ridden by Ella Connolly for her mother Aisling and bred by James McMahon, and to the year younger Hocki gelding Aughavannon Grandeur (220), who was ridden for her mother Nicola by Abbie Collins and was bred by Rachel Catton.

Toby Lambe qualified here last year on Sophie Countess von Maltzan’s Bettyspark Shadow (Silver Shadow - Inishnee Briar Rose, by Linsfort Barney) and did so again on Saturday having amassed 237.5 marks on the now nine-year-old stallion, who was bred in Co Galway by Audrey and William O’Donnell.

Abbey O’Driscoll claimed the second ticket on offer on board her own Caoranbeg Comanche (234.5), a nine-year-old gelding son of Mountain Cascade.