THE Irish Breeders’ Classic show was established in 2012 and was the brainchild of Ronan Rothwell.

When Ronan decided to take a step back in 2021, Sharon Fitzpatrick and Liz Brennan took over as head organisers of the show and made an addition to the schedule of a five/six-year-old class open to all studbooks and, great supporters of show jumping in Ireland and abroad, Castlefield Breeding Farm and Aloga came on board as sponsors and continued this year.

As with the consolation final on beforehand, the spectators were delivered a final of high quality and suspense, with Oisin Aylward and the six-year-old Paraldine D coming out on top to win the lion’s share of the €10,000 prize fund. The pair jumped clear in what proved to be an unbeatable time of 35.71.

Delighted

Aylward spoke to The Irish Field after his win, saying: “I am delighted with the mare, she is super competitive - only 16 hands, but a heart of a lion. We bought her as a foal in Holland and have produced her all the way up. She is very consistent, she won the Petits five/six-year-old class at Bannow and Rathangan show the last two years, she was the leading six-year-old qualifying here and in the qualifiers in Millstreet. We will make a decision in the next few days whether to bring her to Lanaken and will try to take some embryos from her over the wintertime.”

Excited

Just edged into second place was leading Irish show jumper Michael Pender riding his own six-year-old Café Vd Berghoeve, going clear in 36.09. Speaking after the class, Pender told The Irish Field: “I am delighted with how Café jumped, she is a very good mare and I am very excited for the future with her. She is out of one of the best mares in Europe, Baluka Hero, and we were taking embryos from her during the summer, so she hasn’t done much this year and we will take her to Lanaken in a couple of weeks.”

Leading young rider Coen Williams once again portrayed his talents, this time teaming up with Aaron Costello’s five-year-old bay gelding Valentino JS to complete the podium, just behind Aylward and Pender, when stopping the clock clear in 36.62.

Ireland’s National Champion of 2025, Niamh McEvoy, was next in the line-up, when going clear with Ballypatrick’s impressive six-year-old Doris Z, the Dourkan Hero Z gelding breaking the beams in 38.94. Clem McMahon and Cathy Cuffe’s Piamante took fifth place and Gemma Phelan on one of her RDS mounts, Mentolado, owned by Beechfield Stables, took sixth.

Space constraints here have meant the Young Rider report from this show appears on page 81.