LAST Saturday at Rincoola, Clare Oakes and George O’Malley had the task of judging the final qualifier for the ridden Connemara classes at Dublin, the top five in their eventual three line-ups going through by right to the Ballsbridge showgrounds next month.

Between two divisions, 38 combinations came before the pair in the class for four and five-year-old ponies and for riders aged 12 and upwards. Their top five were headed by Katie Crozier riding Emma O’Gorman Wall’s 2020 Rineen Robbie gelding Knockmoy Corona who was bred by Fintan Cosgove out of the Fiona’s Man mare Cooleshall Kasprovy. The line-up featured four more five-year-old geldings.

It was a different story in the 29-runner class for ponies aged six and over and for riders aged 10 to 17. Here, there were three mares and two geldings in the judges’ top five with Mia McAreavey claiming the honours on board her mother Nicola’s Black Rose. This 10-year-old Helen Doody-bred mare by Killaloe Fear Donn is out of Fair Lass (by Robe Thunder).

Geldings filled four of the top five spots in the 27-strong six-year-old and upwards class for older riders with the line-up being topped by Pat Meehan’s Loughmore Mick who won at Dublin in 2022 under Jodie Moran and also qualified in 2023 and 2024 when partnered by Saturday’s rider, Sorcha Meehan. The 10-year-old Brock Lodge Buster gelding was bred in Co Offaly by Sean Cooney out of Hazy Rebel (by Frederiksminde Hazy Match).