THERE was much speculation and debate among those outside the Main Arena at the Tattersalls Ireland July show on Sunday as to which of the eight horses forward would be crowned champion hunter.

From the outside, it also appeared that the debate was even more intense between the two British judges, Joanna Jack (ride) and John Gilliver (conformation), who finally came down in favour of Debbie Harrod’s older lightweight class winner, Bannside Dancer, with the mediumweight winner, Keith Martin and Kate Boyce’s Rathmorrissey Lord Of The Dance, standing reserve.

One of the many late entries made by rider/producer Jamie Smyth, the seven-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Bannside Dancer is by Legaland Darco II and was bred by the rider’s late grandfather, Samuel Smyth, out of the Crosstown Dancer mare Newferry Diamond Dancer.

He is also one of the many Smyth yard inmates heading to Dublin where he won his class and was reserve champion lightweight and reserve champion four-year-old in 2022 but was only fourth in his class a year later. The bay resumed winning ways in the Ballsbridge showgrounds last August and heads back there as the reigning reserve champion lightweight.

Produced and ridden by Nicola Perrin and winner of the recent Connolly’s Red Mills champion of champions hunter final at Barnadown, the six-year-old Rathmorrissey Lord Of The Dance is by Casetleforbes Lord Lancer.

He too is returning to Dublin where he was fourth last year having won his class and being reserve champion middleweight and reserve champion four-year-old in 2023.

Also forward for the championship were Amanda Benson’s Dazzler gelding BC Masquerade, winner of Saturday’s four-year-old heavyweight class and the second in that class, Tom McNamara’s Cappa Aristocrat gelding Shanbally Pippalo Pay; Benson’s older heavyweight class winner, BC Foxrock, a five-year-old grey gelding by Reach For The Stars; and Old Boreen Stud’s Boreen Blue Diamond, a five-year-old mare by Imperial Blue Diamond who was second in Sunday’s older lightweight class.

Also forward was Tara Hudson’s Hudson’s Mermus who was second in Saturday’s small hunter class and was the riding horse champion. The six-year-old skewbald mare and her rider Penny Hudson-Kelly could well have felt intimidated among so many large horses in the Main Arena.

Prior to crowning their hunter champion, the judges selected Harrod’s HHS Cornet gelding Highview Pickpocket, who is out of a Cavalier Land mare, as their four-year-old champion.

“There were some really nice horses, but the champion was a true lightweight, with plenty of bone and a lovely attitude,” commented Gilliver, while Jack said: “It was a real pleasure to judge here. The champion and reserve gave me great rides while the four-year-old gave a spectacular gallop in his class.”

The Jimmy Ryan perpetual trophy was presented to Jamie Smyth by Ryan’s daughter Judy Duffy.