WITH its long history dating back to 1865, Clonmel Show was the place to be last Sunday.

An excerpt from a 1926 travel book on Ireland declares there is a horse and cattle show held in Clonmel in July, which is second only in importance to the great Dublin show; 100 years later the same can be said.

Now held in the picturesque setting of Clonmel racecourse, the show attracted over 580 entries in the equestrian section, with competitors travelling from all over Ireland to participate in 107 classes and hopefully contest 29 championships. There were seven Horse of the Year Show qualifiers, two Tattersalls Ireland/Treo Eile showing pathway series qualifiers plus Showing Ireland and Side Saddle Ireland qualifiers.

The highlight of the breeding section was the €4,000 Coolmore Stud-sponsored thoroughbred broodmare class won by Larry Murphy’s Musical Bar (pictured on page 11).

The first supreme champion crowned by judges Richard Mills (ride) and Tim Wiggett (conformation) was Debbie Harrod’s seven-year-old Arkan gelding BBK Flynn, winner of the heavyweight ridden hunter class under Brian Murphy. The Wilfred FH Watson cup was presented by his granddaughter, Sandra Craik White. Jamie Smyth stood reserve on the Balmoral champion, Hilary Gibson’s six-year-old gelding Mr Venture Elm (by Newmarket Venture), winner of the middleweight class.

Nicola Perrin won the lightweight class and the Kellett cup for the four-year-old champion on the filly Ballarin Valentina (by Lagans OBOS Quality), with Glenn Knipe’s WRS Handsome Paddy gelding Farmhill Seamist as reserve.

The three weight classes and the small hunter class won by Perrin on the five-year-old Chelis HC Z mare Ballarin Beaufort were HOYS qualifiers.

Lisha Leeman’s winner of the HOYS Price family in-hand qualifier was Grace Maxwell Murphy’s Connemara stallion Glenville Glic, who recently won a ridden qualifier at the Royal Norfolk Show. Earlier on Sunday, the Glencarrig Knight seven-year-old won the in-hand Connemara championship, judged by Sharon Thomas. Standing reserve in the Price qualifier was the hunter broodmare champion (as judged by Michelle Underwood), Aileen Dwyer’s unraced thoroughbred Vanity Flare, an 11-year-old daughter of Robin Des Pres, who had a filly foal last year by the Irish Draught stallion Ludden Skywalker.

Along with Chris Bartram Lawton, Underwood also judged the working hunter horse classes, where their HOYS qualifier winner was Lady Perdita Blackwood’s eight-year-old Irish Draught gelding Clandeboye (by Scrapman).

In the show’s working hunter championship, the Louise Lyons-ridden Clandeboye had to settle for the reserve slot behind the novice class winner, Bridget MacAuley’s five-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Am I Pilgrim (WRS Sun Rise - Givenchy Royale, by Garrison Royal), who also won at Killusty the day before.

Super result

Booking his ticket for the HOYS ridden Connemara championship was the Aimee Stunt-ridden, Emma Walsh-owned nine-year-old gelding Skellorn Superted (Skellorn Monarch - Keita, by Ruaille Buaille Bui), with Emma O’Gorman Wall’s Cregduff Ranger, a nine-year-old Drumbad Fletcher Moss gelding, standing reserve.

The pony supreme was judged from champions chosen by Graham Dunkley, Rebecca Patterson, Megan Hewitt and Marilyn Ludlow and here Katie Lawlor’s 153cm show hunter champion, the British-bred Bombay Regal Prince, claimed the overall title.

In reserve was another British-bred, the mini champion, Holthall Karys, who is owned by Co Wexford’s Jessica Murphy, and was ridden in her show hunter lead rein class by west of Ireland jockey Molly May Nee, who is four. Murphy bought the now five-year-old Islyn Bond mare during the 2024 renewal of HOYS and broke her last year.

Other champions on the day included Sinead Healion’s Tyrrellspass Devine (show pony), Sophie Cusack’s Tiger Eye (Intermediate), Anthea Steele’s Dawros Voodoo Ray (Mountain and Moorland in-hand small breeds), Olivia Hodges’s Castlerea June (in-hand coloureds), Jennifer Kennedy’s Moneycross (ridden horse), Anne Doyle’s Barnhouse Calabria (working hunter ponies), Regina Daly’s Timpany Tiger Two (youngstock horses) and Buddy Cully’s P.I.O. (side saddle).

Cecily Purcell, equestrian chair, thanked all stewards, judges and competitors for their support in making 2026 one of the best years ever in the long history of Clonmel Show.