THE Colorman Printers Ring 2 at last weekend’s Tattersalls Ireland July Show only came into play on Sunday morning when, unfortunately, there was a lengthy delay while the medical personnel attended to the visiting ride judge, who had a fall in the opening Irish Draught class.

Thankfully, although she had to stand down for the day, she was fine afterwards and, there to compete his own horses in the performance ring, Luke Coen, who is a member of Tattersalls Ireland’s bloodstock team, was pressed into service in her stead for the ridden classes.

The winner of the opener, which was sponsored by the Irish Equine Centre, was Jessica O’Brien’s Gortfree Main Attraction (Gortfee Hero - Ballyharris Grey, by Grey Macha). This five-year-old mare was bred by Sean Baker, who was no doubt delighted to see another gelding by the same sire, the 10-year-old A Heros Welcome, place second under his owner Jill Brown, who is heading to next week’s Gallagher Dublin Horse Show with the grey.

The first champion crowned by Coen and England’s Chris Hewlett was the Debbie Harrod-owned, Brian Murphy-produced King Of Clubs II, a seven-year-old gelding by Riverland Roi, who had topped the final line-up in the Weatherbys Ireland large riding horse class under Aimee Stunt.

Second there and reserve under the owner’s son Shane, was Janet McKenna’s five-year-old bay Stormy Mountain gelding Watchouse High Voltage, winner of the ridden title at the recent Connolly’s Red Mills champion of champions finals in Barnadown.

The McKennas won the small riding horse class with another five-year-old gelding, the chesnut Greenhall Top Shelf (by Financial Reward).

Cob champion Grand Slam and P.J. Casey at Tattersalls \ Enda Daly jumpinaction.net

On entering the ring for his class, Millie Bowlby’s Grand Slam stood out as a true lightweight cob, so it was little wonder to see the chesnut win under producer P.J. Casey, who then partnered the four-year-old to claim the championship title.

Here, Brian Murphy was beckoned into the reserve slot with the maxi class winner, Amanda Benson’s Young Offender. In his class, this five-year-old grey gelding, who also won at Ballivor and Raheendaw, saw off the challenge of Grace Maxwell Murphy’s Balmoral champion, Gleann Rua Yellowstone.

It was a case of history repeating itself in the coloured horse section. Tara Hudson again won the not exceeding 158cm class with her skewbald mare Hudsons Mermus, a seven-year-old by Mermus R, but once more had to settle for reserve in the championship, which Amy O’Connor won with the exceeding 158cm class winner, the 11-year-old skewbald gelding A Heart Of Gold.

Co Cork’s Richard Rohan, a strong supporter of Tattersalls Ireland sales, judged the MJM Chauffeur Drive-sponsored youngstock section which, once again, was very poorly supported, with not one three-year-old gelding being shown.

Champion and winner of the Ward Union Hunt cup was David Kirkpatrick’s two-year-old colts and geldings’ class winner, Redwood Orion (Vivant van de Heffinck - Frisco Chacoa, by Chacoa).

Bred in Co Clare by Dan Dalton, the brown gelding is heading back to Dublin, where he finished fifth last August.

The reserve champion was Tracey Kearney’s unnamed two-year-old filly by Dallas VDL. Bred by Willie Browne, the grey is out of the thoroughbred mare Nevada Queen (by Dawn Approach), who twice finished third in 10 outings on the flat as a five and six-year-old.

That filly is also heading to Dublin, as is Cathy Grassick’s winner of the yearing class, Meadowpark Legacy, a chesnut gelding by Moylough Legacy out of a Sea The Stars mare.

Not following the same route is the three-year-filly class winner Posh Vivent (Vivant van de Heffinck), who was shown for her mother Jill, who bred the bay, by former jockey Megan Carberry.