THE lure of competing at the Dublin Horse Show was underlined again on Wednesday at The Meadows where there were 171 starters at the second of the RDS working hunter pony qualifiers.

Gillian Creighton judged the jumping phase over the Charles Hanley-built track with Brian Lewis assessing those who made it through to the second phase for their set show piece on the flat. The top five from each of the five classes secured a qualifying ticket.

Nutt’s Corner-based Charlotte Harding of RJC Sporthorses saw off 18 rivals from across the country to win the 158cm class with Penny Murphy’s Kontiki (85.8 points). Co Tipperary’s Abigail Kenny finished second on her father Graham’s Connemara gelding Hogan The Brave (83), a seven-year-old grey by Silver Shadow with whom she placed fifth of 32 in the EI90 national championship last September.

Earlier in the year at this venue, Harding and Kontiki won a qualifier for the Irish Draught performance championship at Balmoral Show where they finished second in the six-year-old and upwards class in the Main Arena on the Thursday morning. They filled the same position in the small horse working hunter class 24 hours later.

An 11-year-old Killinick Bouncer gelding, who has 65 Showjumping Ireland points to his credit, Kontiki was bred in Co Cork by Seamus Neville. The grey is out of the Holy Cross mare Glen Cross whose previous produce include Westwinds Dakota (CCI3*-S), a 2001 Irish Sport Horse gelding by Regal Sting.

Harding and Kontiki finished second in their performance Irish Draught class at Dublin last August and rounded off their 2024 season when placing ninth in the Intermediate working hunter pony class at the Horse of the Year Show. Murphy, who keeps the grey at home in Parkgate, also campaigns Kontiki with Dressage Ireland and they competed at both Elementary and Medium levels last Sunday at Gransha.

Harding and Kontiki will be appearing again in the performance Irish Draught class at Dublin having qualified at Tullylish. The 23-year-old rider/producer hopes to qualify another Draught today at Orchard Lodge where she also has an entry in the Connemara section.