THERE were a lot of classes on the showing programme at last weekend’s Tattersalls Ireland July Show and it would seem that most of the entries are heading to next week’s Dublin Horse Show.

That’s certainly the aim for the very much in-form Crosstown Dancer gelding Taughblane Dancer who claimed the title of champion amateur ridden hunter on Saturday under Tara Murphy who has him entered in the five-year-old middleweight class on Friday.

Other champions were Debbie Harrod’s seven-year-old black gelding Highview Quickstep (cobs), the same owner’s five-year-old skewbald Condios gelding Knocknagow Flash (coloureds), Abbie Walker’s 17-year-old Westside Mirah gelding If Ever A Rogue (veterans) and Debbie Burns’s seven-year-old Kilmovee White Hero mare Calagy Day In May (Irish Draughts).

Ridden by Katie Crozier, the Mark Hester-bred Calagy Day In May also won the Mahony Family ladies’ hunter side saddle class which, like so many more over the two days of the show, was a qualifier for the 2026 Royal International Horse Show at Hickstead.

Youngstock champion

It was very disappointing to see so few horses forward for the Kealy Construction youngstock classes at Tattersalls on Sunday and one can only hope that the champion goes on to win at Dublin next week and so promote this July Show as a conduit to success.

That champion, who was shown by Steven Mitten, was Daphne Tierney’s Bloomfield Westaston, winner of the three-year-old fillies’ class on Sunday and of her class and the fillies’ championship at Balmoral in May. The Irish Sport Horse by Dignified van’t Zorgvliet was purchased as a foal from her producer, Jane Bradbury, who bred the bay out of the thoroughbred mare Katoda (by Indian Danehill), dam previously of the top-class hack Ballinclare (by Silvano).

The reserve champion was Tim Martin’s River Lagan, a three-year-old Lagans OBOS Quality gelding who won his class here last July on his showing debut.

“It was a very small entry but a lovely championship,” was the comment of British judge, Anne Leaver.