A THEME of recent features is the preference for all-weather arenas by some. Not the case at Charleville Show, where its famed working hunter ring, complete with two banks, drew plenty of competitors.
Although it was an ‘all weathers’ weekend, from humid conditions to rain during Saturday evening’s supreme pony championship. However, the damp conditions didn’t make a whit of difference to the hardy youngsters gathered for the Joe Carroll-sponsored finale.
The morning in-hand champions are often at home when the Charleville supreme title is decided, so the decision to wait paid off handsomely for Katelyn O’Driscoll’s youngstock champion Glenard Little Spectacular as the smart dun won the supreme title.
Bred by Katelyn’s mother Jenny and shown by family friend Finbarr McCarthy, the two-year-old was having his second outing of the summer after being lightly shown as a foal.
It was a good result on several levels; for Jerry Moloney, who also stayed on for the supreme decider with his Welsh champion Barryroe Princess Honeysuckle, as both ponies are by his own stallion Hilin Oriole and for the small dedicated group that continue to breed ponies here for the showing markets.
Supreme decision
Saturday’s ‘pony day’ judges at Charleville – one of the country’s few remaining two-day agricultural shows – all gather for the supreme decision. The combined squad of Jo Callwood, Nathan Deakin, Laura Grey, Kathryn Lloyd and Helen Taylor opted for Blackwoodland Breeze as their reserve supreme.
His pilot Evie Kennedy was deputising for young brother Andy who broke his shoulder playing hurling but hopes to be match fit by Dublin for the 143cm show hunter class. The Glencarrig Prince grey, bred by Anthony and Janice Linden, has also qualified for the ridden Connemara class.
Bernie Carroll, whose husband Joe sponsors the Charleville supreme pony championship, with the reserve: Blackwoodland Breeze and Evie Kennedy \ Susan Finnerty
Ridden Connemara champion here last year, the 15-year-old gathered an added collection of Charleville championship sashes for Evie’s mum Maeve to keep dry on the sidelines.
Right on Blackwoodland Breeze’s heels in two of those earlier championship wins – show and working hunter – was Rachel Lane’s Creganna Dancer. The smart coloured mare was adding to her 2024 starter stakes and working hunter titles here with Amber Lane.
The very first of the day one pony titles was the show pony championship. Dwindling show pony entries means the now height-amalgamated class was won by Leana Bartelink’s Blaenpentir Darach.
A red rosette in a class is no guarantee to a championship win, as the judging starts again from scratch and this was the case as Kathryn Lloyd opted for the second-placed pony, Lorraine Thompson’s Goldengrove Maydream as her show pony champion. “Just because she went better in the championship,” remarked the judge.
Lorraine’s daughter Zoe, “she’s been riding since she was able to walk and very dedicated to getting ponies ready for shows, does everything from washing to plaiting”, got a quick re-plaiting opportunity as the family went to Ballyfoyle the next day, where they won the show hunter and reserve show pony championships.
If possible, the Ruttle family’s schoolmaster Bronheulog Sunny Boy would oblige by plaiting and tacking himself up. Now on loan to the Palmer family, he notched up back-to-back Charleville starter stakes reserve champion titles, this year with Emily Palmer in the saddle.
Another welcome showring newbie is MJ Hyde, who won the starter stakes title with another ‘family pony’ in Ormond Kestral. “MJ’s brother Cuán competed in the working hunter lead rein and their sister Síomha also competed her, so she is a real family pony,” said dad Michael, whose father John is a frequent exhibitor in broodmare classes, most notably with the Ricardo Z mare The Bally Girl.
Kate Connors’ Castleturvin Victoria, bred by Jennifer Dunlop, was reserve champion ridden Connemara to Blackwoodland Breeze and the sole pony to break ‘Breeze’s’ Charleville run was Sarah McGuire’s Star In The Night (Lightning Star), the Mountain and Moorland working hunter champion.
Last year’s reserve supreme pony – Orla Whelton’s Whiteleaze Secret Temptation – won the mini championship, ahead of Penny Toomey’s Rookery Haribo (Uphill James Fox). This was the third successive year that the bay mare has won a Charleville mini class, graduating from lead rein to first ridden with young Stephanie Fleming, Orla’s daughter.
In-hand
Over in the in-hand ring, the Horse Sport Ireland/DAFM Connemara mare class attracted its usual good entry and Martin O’Sullivan’s Active Beauty (Robe Earl) was another to repeat her 2024 success.
Tuning in for social media updates was her proud Mayo breeder and Louisburgh Show committee member Jimmy Scott, busy with preparations for his upcoming show (Sunday, July 20th).
Reserve in this class was Jackie Keohane’s home-bred Ballintemple Tara (Errismore Rocky).
Active Beauty won the in-hand Connemara title too, ahead of Caoilfhinn O’Malley’s bay filly April Ruby (Caoranbeg Champ), the Connemara youngstock class winner. Glenard Little Spectacular began his winning streak in the show pony youngstock class and then booked a place in the evening supreme finale after landing the in-hand pony championship.
Loretta Hanley and Leonard Supple with the HSI/DAFM broodmare class winner: Be In The Moment and judge Paddy Fleming, Castlehyde Stud manager \ Susan Finnerty
Reserve in-hand champion was Carole Farnell’s Brooklann Sweet Dreams (Brooklan Celtic Charmer), bred by John McCormick, and this three-year-old filly had placed second to the O’Driscoll’s dun when they lined out in the youngstock class.
Another of Carole’s entries – Meeryhill Lorenzo (Llanmorlais Reagan) – was the reserve champion Welsh pony. The title here went to Jerry Moloney’s Barryroe Princess Honeysuckle.
The only exception to Charleville’s strictly-enforced no late entries policy was the family pony lead rein class, again one of the best-filled classes seen this summer.
A fun day out for the family at their one or two shows of the year is one manageable exception, otherwise Charleville’s decision to introduce catalogued entries only is a laudable one.
It may have hit entries for the first year’s trial, however by next year, the policy will pay dividends and it certainly made it a much more streamlined weekend for a formidable Charleville team.
“We have a WhatsApp group for the stewards and every result is immediately snapped and sent to this group chat to cross-check throughout the day and for championships. Then we have several stewards, who have shown horses and ponies for years, and know every rule in the book,” said secretary Elaine Goold, whose predecessor mentor Eleanor Fleming was also on hand in the secretary’s tent.
Keith Martin is one of those individuals who prefers to let his horses do the talking and Rathmorrissey Lord Of The Dance did just that last Sunday with the supreme horse title.
It was a long day, with the popular working hunter, hunter and riding horse classes rightfully taking time to sift through, which meant it was after 6pm when Saturday’s UK judges, plus Sunday’s side-saddle ride judge Nicola Everard and conformation judge Kevin McGuinness, assembled to assess their supreme contenders.
By that time, it was a quality rather than quantity choice, with Nicola Perrin aboard Martin’s hunter champion, instead of his ridden horse champion Mythical Creature (the Aughrim owner won that title too). Also in contention for supreme honours were the side-saddle champion and reserve: Emily Woods’ Coco Carel and Lyndsey O’Brien’s Mr Bloomfield.
Martin’s strapping Castleforbes Lord Lancer middleweight, bred by Jack Freeney, was the combined panel’s supreme choice for the Dick Johnson Trophy, named after the Golden Vale vet and voice of Charleville Show for many years.
Nicola Perrin aboard Keith Martin’s supreme champion horse at Charleville: Rathmorrissey Lord Of The Dance with Dick Johnson’s daughter Catherine \ Susan Finnerty
Mr Bloomfield, another bred in the west by Peter McHugh, was then called forward as the supreme reserve. This was the fourth successive year of Charleville wins for this pure-bred Draught by Gortfree Hero.
Martin and his wife Kate Boyce will have a busy Dublin Horse Show week as their Charleville supreme champion six-year-old is earmarked for there. Aidan Ryan’s four-year-old FJK Z Future (Future Trend), bred by Fergal King, was the reserve champion hunter.
Supreme championship win
Not only did Mythical Creature win the ridden horse title, but Kate Boyce also stood reserve with The Masterstroke, lightly shown since last year’s Athlone supreme championship win. For good measure, both cobs are by Aughrim Stables’ resident Irish Draught stallion Granite Hero, bred on Crannagh Hero-Silver Granite lines.
There’s always bloodstock links in this corner of the Golden Vale. Fethard’s Luke Coen (who works for Tattersalls Ireland and also pinhooks flat-bred yearlings and produces sport horses with fiancée Charlotte Hatton) and Ballykelly Like This (OBOS Quality) were the ones to pose for the now-customary photo of the Charleville working hunter champion on top of the bank.
Camilla Kear’s Dash Bouncer (Killinick Bouncer) stood reserve in the working hunter decider.
Bred by Des and Margaret Jeffares, Coen’s champion will next head to the Royal International in Hickstead and Dublin. Ballykelly Notalot, his well-known dam, was the only filly to win the upcoming All-Ireland three-year-old final at Bannow & Rathangan (next Thursday, July 10th), plus the Dublin young horse title.
Rebecca Monahan, who showed Notalot as a youngster, won the Charleville broodmare title with the traditionally-bred Notalie (Loughehoe Guy), bred by Mary O’Halloran in Nenagh. “And she’s in foal to CC Captain Cruise to continue on traditional lines,” said Rebecca.
Denis McGrath’s reserve broodmare choice was Kieran O’Gorman’s Munther’s Hope, by her owner’s own thoroughbred Munther.
Loretta Hanley’s Be In The Moment (Barely A Moment) won the Horse Sport Ireland/DAFM broodmare class, judged by Castlehyde Stud manager Paddy Fleming.
“She’s an eight-year-old home-bred mare that won the Dublin lightweight hunter mare class with me in 2023. This is her first year out in-hand and she’s in foal to Kennedy’s stallion Der Senaat III,” said her delighted owner-breeder.
In the foal classes, which had disappointingly low numbers, Denis McGrath selected Munther’s Hope’s colt by Fountain Of Youth and Edel Curtin’s Casago II filly as his champion and reserve.
Breeders’ Championship
Some owners were keeping their powder dry for the penultimate places in The Irish Field Breeders’ Championship qualifiers, judged by this year’s panel of Clare Ryan and Maurice Coleman.
They picked Eileen Furlong’s Bonnie (Foxglen Cruise Control) and her Castlefield Kingston filly, plus John Roche’s Assagart Velvet (Ars Vivendi) with her Call Me Number One foal from the show jumping section, which attracted a half-dozen entries.
Seven were entered for the eventing section. Richard Drohan’s 2023 Dublin final winner Golden Moments (Golden Master) with another News Anchor colt and Liz Murphy’s home-bred Cappulcorragh Quality Time (OBOS Quality) and her Galileo Dance filly were the two combinations sent forward for the final on Friday, August 8th.
Champion choice
Three years ago, John Burchill’s Haven Hi Hope (Tyson) was the foal at foot when she and her Ghareeb dam Slatequarry Sasha qualified for The Irish Field Breeders’ Championship. She returned to Charleville where she was Liam Cotter’s young horse champion choice.
The three-year-old and yearling classes were the better-supported in the young horse section, although the reserve champion was from the two-year-old filly class: Patrick O’Sullivan’s Valley View Annie (Valdelanadre Clooney).
Another link to previous Charleville Breeders’ Championship representatives at Dublin was through Emily Woods’ Coco Carel. The charismatic five-year-old dun topped the intermediate side-saddle qualifier for her paramedic owner, who’s just back in the saddle after injury.
Her dam – Harlequin Charm – qualified at Charleville for the 2022 Breeders’ Championship for current owner, Joan Curtin, after Coco Carel’s breeder Paddy Reidy had sold the mare.
The north Cork show was also a lucky hunting ground for Leonie O’Gorman, who topped the other Dublin side-saddle qualifier with Lackaghbeg Augustus Star (Emperor Augustus), bred a couple of parishes over from Rathmorrissey Lord Of The Dance by Connie Joyce.
Another RDS-bound western-bred is Claire Connors’ Creggs Cross (Ocovango), bred by Brendan Noone. This pair topped the Dublin Racehorse to Riding Horse qualifier.
Lucky lock: Emily Woods with side-saddle champion Coco Carel \ Susan Finnerty
“He [Glenard Little Spectacular] was the first and only foal Pennyroyal Little Spectacular, whose mother was a HOYS winner herself, has bred. She’s now back under saddle this season, making more kids’ dreams come true. We plan to just do a few more shows this season and let him off until next year. We then hope that he will have a bright future under saddle as a child’s pony.” - Finbarr McCarthy
“‘Breeze’ is a fabulous example of a Connemara pony who is competitive at every discipline; working hunter, showing, dressage and eventing. We got him in 2023 and he and Evie went to Scotland on the Irish working hunter team that summer. Last year, they turned to dressage and were on the BD home youths’ team to Wales, as well as the Irish Pony Club team at Windsor and were reserve novice and elementary national champions.” - Maeve Kennedy
“We have Goldengrove Maydream, who is known to us as Cher, for the past year and we’ve had a lot of fun with her. We know her breeders - sisters Claire [Scott] and Sarah [Rymer] - who are also in our IPS area, so it was lovely when Cher won Pony of the Year 2024 in the Tipp Area awards.” - Lorraine Thompson
“Yes, mammy dearest is Harlequin Charm! Paddy Reidy, my neighbour and good friend asked me to find him a nice broodmare – he’d like to breed a horse for the Olympics! I said that’s a bit beyond my scope, but John Reilly in Sixmilebridge had rang me about a Connemara I had for sale. Whatever way the conversation went, we called to him and Paddy bought Harlequin Charm, who was in foal to Barely A Moment.
“Enter…. Harlequin Moment who I broke, produced and got to experience the FEHL with. Last year, he brought me around my first RDS working hunter track.
“I tragically lost him to colic last November; I had a lock of his tail in my pocket at Charleville.
“After five years, I convinced Paddy to sell me Moment’s beautiful younger sister Darcie, aka Coco Carel. It was my decision to go to local Connemara stallion Cornfield Prince with Harlequin Charm six years ago and I absolutely adore the result.
“I bought her and broke her in January this year and I am so unbelievably bewildered as to how we pulled off today. What a good girl!
“I asked Shannon O’Mahony if I could test drive Darcie in her custom-made Phil Richardson side saddle. The wee mare went unbelievable in it, so Shannon kindly loaned it to me. Darcie rides like a hovercraft in it, very comfortable and content.” - Emily Woods