THE outdoor showing season in the North East Region of the Association of Irish Riding Clubs came to a close last Sunday when Drynam ran their summer show at the National Horse Sport Arena, Abbotstown.

The dressage section was sponsored by My Cheval which has nothing to do with the neighbouring riding club but is, in fact, “a comprehensive horse management app tailored for horse owners and stable managers. It simplifies essential tasks such as monitoring health records, scheduling vet visits, managing expenses and organising events”.

As if spurred on by the sponsorship, members of Cheval Riding Club won four of the Michael Moore-judged classes. John Maguire got the ball rolling in the walk/trot test on his seven-year-old skewbald gelding Dumbledore (67.62%) while Sue Byrne rounded off the four-timer when scoring 69.38 in the RCE on board her 13-year-old piebald gelding Billy Bonkers.

Between times, Gerry O’Byrne won two classes on his Connemara gelding Doon Finn, a nine-year-old grey by Newgrange Lad out of a Parkmore Bobby mare. The pair scored 70.20% in the RCP3 (a mark which saw O’Byrne land the day’s leading senior rider award) and 66.92 in the RCN.

Graded wins

There were graded wins also for Rathfarnham’s Rachel Gaffey on her Irish Sport Horse mare Meadow Mo Chroí Z Diamond, a 10-year-old by Ricardo Z (67.95% in the RCP1), and for Castle Hill’s Emma Keane on another Connemara gelding, Bhinn Sleibhe Charlie Tango, a 12-year-old grey by Coolin America (68.33 in the RCP2).

The open classes were won by Tara Hill chair Chris Carter on his Dublin side saddle fourth Bohermeen Pure Quality (68.18% in the Preliminary), by Cill Dara chair Deirdre O’Loughlin with Deiter (70 in the young horse class) and by Drynam’s Aisling O’Sullivan on Wendy (64.62 in the RCN+). Ridden by Killcarrick’s Catherine O’Leary Browne, the 28-year-old bay gelding Lyanmore Jeff won the leading veteran horse award.

This year, performance classes were added to the schedule and these were sponsored by the Horse Mad Store and judged by Jennifer Breslin whose winner of the 60cm class was the NER cum Boyneside secretary Sarah Richardson with her 11-year-old grey mare Cloondarone Silver.

Tara Hill’s Lisa Murray topped the scores in the 70cm class on board her ISH gelding Ardlonnan Ids, a four-year-old bay son of the Dutch Warmblood stallion Ids; Thomastown and District’s Gillian Cody was judged winner of the 90cm class with her ISH gelding Lisbrien Boy, a 13-year-old grey by Crannagh Hero; and Castledermot’s Megan Larkin won the 1m class on her traditionally-bred ISH mare Killagha Lucky Cat, an eight-year-old Cougar grey.

The host club’s Jill Brown has enjoyed a very successful showing season with her Irish Draught gelding A Heros Welcome both in riding club company and beyond. She and the nine-year-old Gortfree Hero grey, who were fifth in their middleweight hunter class at Dublin, won the 80cm performance class on Sunday.

Show jumping

Gay Parkinson judged the White’s Agri-sponsored show jumping section where the aforementioned Rachel Gaffey won the 70cm class for Rathfarnham on Meadow Mo Chroi Z Diamond while Greenhills’ Jack Martin held off allcomers to land the highly-competitive 1m class on board the ISH mare Concordes Cruise Queen, a nine-year-old by Royal Concorde out of a Cruisings Ambassador mare who he also competes with Show Jumping Ireland.

Members of The Rower club won the other two Graded classes. At 80cm level, Margaret Bolger claimed the honours on board her Connemara mare Inbhear Lady Lauren, a nine-year-old grey by Cashelbay Prince. The 90cm class went the way of the J.J. Bolger-partnered, traditionally home-bred ISH mare Misty Princess, a seven-year-old grey by Shenandoah Prince Holly.

Also representing The Rower, Avril Gavin won the 90cm open class on the 15-year-old black mare Sheeba III, beating Martin and Concordes Cruise Queen into second, while Ailish Carberry struck for Kilronan when guiding the five-year-old grey mare JMC Connie Brody to victory in the open 70cm.

At present, there are no more outdoor shows planned for the North East Region for the remainder of 2025 but Killossery Lodge Stud will be the venue on Sunday, September 14th for the Equipeople/AIRC national eventing championships. Entries close at 12 noon on Wednesday next, September 3rd.