WHILE the programme will be a lot bigger at next month’s Agria Royal International Show, there were showing classes last Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Al Shira’aa Derby Meeting in Hickstead, where Redy Steady Eddie got Irish-breds off to a good start.
The seven-year-old Marc Brennan-bred grey by Farmhill Highlander won the opening lightweight cob class (an RIHS qualifier) and then gave his owner-rider Caroline Mackness her first victory in the international arena for roughly 30 years, when being crowned champion.
Val Sheehan stood reserve with the lightweight second, the 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare Red Dove (by Killea Hill View).
Lynn Russell won the maxi cob class on her own six-year-old piebald gelding Guardian Of The Galaxy who, on Sunday, landed the Agria coloured horse ridden championship
Three Irish-breds went through to Saturday’s Agria hunter championship as winners.
These were the 11-year-old middleweight ISH gelding Gleann Rua De Vinci (Camillo VDL - Gleann Rua Times, by French Buffet), the 2022 Dublin supreme champion who was bred by Grace Maxwell Murphy and William McMahon; the 11-year-old heavyweight Dowdstown Purple (Crosstown Dancer - Dowdstown Jane, by Silver Granite), an Irish Draught gelding bred by James Hoare; and the small hunter Red Valentine (OBOS Quality 004 - Knockbrack Spirit, by Mountain Diamond), a six-year-old ISH gelding bred by Maurice O’Mara.
The Jono Fryer-owned and ridden Dowdstown Purple fared best of the trio when standing reserve to the British-bred lightweight Tigbourne, a 10-year-old seven-eighths thoroughbred gelding by Roviris, who was ridden by Hannah Horton for Lucinda Freedman.
Sunday
On Sunday, Irish-breds won two of the Tattersalls RoR thoroughbred classes. These were the amateur flat winner Ideal Option (Camacho - Practicallyperfect, by King Charlemagne), a once-raced 10-year-old gelding bred by Denis McDonnell, and the open National Hunt class winner Gentleman At Arms (Reliable Man - Sworn Sold, by Soldier Hollow), a Salinity Service-bred nine-year-old who won three times on the flat and three times over hurdles.
Both stood reserve in their respective championships.