NORTH Co Dublin’s Kevin McGuinness judged the first of the Connemara working hunter qualifiers for this year’s Balmoral Show last Sunday at The Meadows, where the 2025 flat and performance champions, Amira Curran and Caherpuca Chappy, topped the scores in the opening young riders’ class.

One of the most successful combinations on the Connemara scene since Curran’s father Daryl made his first foray into pony ownership in 2023, the pair have a special affinity for Balmoral, where they claimed the ridden title in 2024 before recording last year’s double victory. They were reserve ridden champions at Dublin in 2023, where last August they were second in their class to the reserve champions.

Caherpuca Chappy

Caherpuca Chappy, who is a nine-year-old son of Coolin America, was bred in Co Galway by Michael and Kendra Rabbitte out of the Rebel Justice mare Loughfadda Darling who, in turn, was out of a Village Boy mare.

Curran and the grey were awarded 93 marks out of 100 by McGuinness, who had two combinations on 91, Lily Murphy with Avril Kelly’s well-known 11-year-old home-bred I Love You Melody mare Dunran Love In The Mist and Tristan Kelly on a new ride for this season, his mother Lucy’s eight-year-old Monaghanstown Boy gelding, Garvagh Moonlight Boy.

Others to have secured their qualifying tickets were Chloe Dempsey with Pat McCormack’s 17-year-old Caherlistrane Prince mare Cavern Hill Anney (90), Demi Wildman with her mother Donna’s 19-year-old Westside Mirah gelding Corbeagh Mirah (85) and Daniel Kennedy with his father Damien’s six-year-old Knightebridge Prince gelding Cuba Prince (80).

Two reserves were also selected who will be invited to compete should any of those who qualified here withdraw. There were 18 starters in this class of whom three were eliminated and one retired.

Clear rounds were few and far between in the class for riders aged 16 and upwards, with four eliminations and two retirements from a field of 34.

Here, Derrylackey Playboy earned McGuinness’s top score of 95 marks under Lesley Jones, who has ridden and produced the bay for Emily McGowan since 2023. The seven-year-old Lightening Star gelding was bred in Co Kilkenny by Mary Dermody out of the Monaghanstown Barney mare Derrylackey May.

Inseparable

Two combinations completed with 93 marks apiece. These were Co Down’s Sophie Ennis with Lewis Orr’s 10-year-old Glenmore Mirah Patrick mare Achadh An Luir Rainbow Mirah and Co Wexford’s Jessica Murphy on Clare McAuley’s 14-year-old Newtown Moll’s Pride gelding Doonreaghan Oak.

Others delighted to have booked their places in the Balmoral final first time out were Chloe Rooney on board Sylvia Henry’s six-year-old Ballymahon Highland King mare Fivemile Smartie (92), Hannah MacCombe Funston with Adrienne Stuart’s 148cm Grade A pony Highlandy Rebel (88), a 16-year-old gelding by Oisin, and the owner/rider combination of Gayle and Katie Annett with the nine-year-old Ardgaineen Rebel gelding Illane Duke (84).