IT was a day of mixed weather at Tullylish last Saturday when the Stevenson family hosted the first of this year’s qualifiers for the performance Irish Draught championships and the Connemara performance hunter championship at Dublin.

The large entry meant it was also a long day for the ridden display judges Carol Prime and Catherine Abbott plus the jump judge Georgia Stubington. It was a tiring few days for the Young Eventhorse Series co-ordinator Angela McGahern who had been on duty at Tullylish the previous Tuesday and again on Saturday.

Graiguenamangh veterinary surgeon Diarmuid Ryan got his campaign off to the perfect start by winning both sections of the four and five-year-old Irish Draught class. He recorded the day’s highest score when landing Section A on Simon Kelly’s 2021 Farmhill Highlander gelding (250.5) Clogher Highlander. Bred in Co Galway by Denis McGrath, the bay is out of the Fast Silver mare Clogher Silvana.

Dermot Molloy’s much admired Two Mile Nigel, who had a very successful first season under saddle last year, brought up the Ryan double in Section B. A chesnut like his sire King Vinny, the five-year-old was bred in Co Kerry by Jerry McMahon out of the Coolcronan Wood mare Two Mile Gretta. Two Mile Nigel claimed his RDS ticket on a score of 235 points with the Neasa Haverty-owned and ridden Assagart Vacation, a five-year-old daughter of Lansdown, also qualifying in second on 229.5.

Under Ryan, Two Mile Nigel and Clogher Highlander finished first and second in the four and five-year-old performance Irish Draught class at Balmoral Show last month when Two Mile Nigel went on to stand champion. The chesnut only finished third in his class on the opening day of the Dublin Horse Show last August but, on the closing day, he finished up as reserve champion in the working hunter section.

Countess

Competing at Tullylish on the back of some excellent results the previous weekend in Ballinasloe, Westport’s Amy Grady won Section A of the six-year-old and upwards class on The Countess of Murrisk (229.5) who also qualified for Dublin last year. The 2019 grey is owned by the rider’s granduncle Michael Grady who bred her out of his Rockrimmon Robusticus mare Amber Light.

In common with Clogher Highlander, The Countess of Murrisk is by Owen Hallinan’s Farmhill Highland (by WRS Sun Rich) who, too, appeared at the RDS last August when he won his section of the Irish Draught stallion class and stood reserve champion.

Riding for British exhibitor Stella Chetcuti, Co Meath’s Darren Jordan qualified in second on Saturday with Windy Carrick Clover (221.5), an eight-year-old chestnut gelding by Carrickcottage Star.

The more locally-based Charlotte Harding won Section B of the older Irish Draught class on Kontiki (238.5) who was the only qualifier out of this half of the draw. Penny Murphy’s 11-year-old gelding, who finished second at Balmoral last month and at Dublin last August, was bred in Co Cork by Seamus Neville.

The grey, who has 62 Showjumping Ireland points to his credit, is by Killinick Bouncer out of the Holycross mare Glen Cross.