HUGE crowds descended on Newbridge House last weekend for the Flavours of Fingal County show with many taking the short walk up from the nearby Donabate railway station which brings them right alongside the showing rings.

As flat classes don’t really grab outsiders’ attention, most people walked on by - up to the busy show jumping ring and other attractions - but showing fans stayed put, particularly to watch the RDS racehorse to riding horse and side saddle qualifiers.

Not too surprisingly, these were well-supported but, following a change of date, this north Co Dublin show clashed with other traditional fixtures throughout the country so there was a drop of entries in other classes. Also, due to a policy change in Fingal County Council, no third arena was made available for working hunter classes.

Nevertheless there were winners, and well-rewarded ones at that, thanks to some generous sponsorship.

Following the RDS side saddle classes in Ring 1, the hunter classes were judged by Northern Ireland’s Jamie Smyth and Britain’s Emma Green who had won the RDS ladies’ side saddle qualifier at Ballyfoyle the previous weekend on the Smyth-produced Mr Venture Elm.

The pair found their White’s Agri champion, the Traditional Irish Sport Horse gelding Kiltealy Grey, in the Damian Duff-sponsored middleweight class. Ridden by Joanne Quirke for owner Helen Cooke, this six-year-old bay by Kiltealy Silver was bred by J.J. Bowe out of the Kiltealy Spring mare Kiltealy Kay who is a half-sister to the Indian River gelding Kiltealy Prophet (CCI3*-L).

The reserve champion was Gillian Gill’s Brymar Universal Time, winner of the Catherine Mullarkey lightweight class under Ben Cousins. Bred in Co Down by William Smyth, this eight-year-old ISH gelding is by Barely A Moment out of the Limmerick mare Cosmo Girl. As Kiltealy Grey had already qualified, Brymar Universal Time was sent forward to today’s Connolly’s Red Mills champion of champions final at Barnadown.

The other winners in this section were the Sandra Hannigan-owned and ridden Irish Draught mare Dowdstown Janes Legacy (by Moylough Legacy) in the small hunter class, the Natasha Byrne-partnered ISH gelding Drumlin Caesar (by Cascari Della Caccia) in the four-year-old class and the Kevin McGuinness-ridden seven-year-old Irish Draught gelding Antuasal Ciunas (by Gortfree Hero) in the heavyweights.

Baker Street

Ryan Anderson and Harry Scanlan shared the riding and conformation judging duties between them in Ring 2 where their Marlet Property Group champion, Baker Street, came from the Daw Gallop riding horse class. Here, McGuinness and the Helena Fitzgerald McLoughlin-owned and bred Antuasal Ciunas stood reserve, having won the Orla Gannon-sponsored Irish Draught class.

Initiating a good weekend for rider/producer P.J. Casey, Baker Street is a five-year-old bay ISH gelding by Dunbeggan Coevers Hill. He was bred in Co Longford by Edward McCoppin out of Carra Mac who is one of only six produce listed on the Irish Horse Register by the British thoroughbred stallion Sonny Mac.

PJ Casey and Baker Street, riding horse champion, with Judges Ryan Anderson and Emma Green at Flavours of Fingal \ Sagittarian Photography

Here the other winners were the well-known 13-year-old ID gelding Cloonan Hector (by Clew Bay Bouncer) who topped the final line-up in the Go Tu Trailers amateur class under Zohra Smyth; the nine-year-old palomino gelding Hollyrock Copper Jack who landed the cob class under Aoife Hagan; and the 17-year-old skewbald gelding Emperor of the Glebe who claimed the honours in the coloured class in the hands of Cara Miller.

Most disappointingly for the organisers, the Connemara classes suffered badly as they ran in opposition to the North East Connemara Pony Breeders’ Show in Slane and the last of the RDS Connemara performance hunter qualifiers at Rincoola.

The winner of the class for riders under 16 here was won by Sophie Bierca on the seven-year-old Cornarone Hazy Lad gelding Flex while Eithne O’Connell partnered the eight-year-old dun Gwennic de Goariva gelding Gleann Mor Ferdia to victory in the class for riders over 16.

Local pony riders enjoyed their classes on Sunday when there were also carriage driving classes.