KATIE Jerram was in flying form at the National Supreme Hunter Championships, the Essex rider and producer notching up seven wins, three championships and a reserve.

Jerram has been quickly off the mark with her recent Dublin purchase Classic Choice.

This three-year-old gelding, bred by P. Gore in Limerick and bought from Tim Martin, stood hunter-breeding champion on his British debut at Bucks County, before taking the champion male young horse title at these Championships. The son of Emperor Augustus then went on to stand Cuddy reserve.

“It’s a bit of a departure for me to run one in hand, but I was only 17 when I last had a Cuddy contender – and I qualified (for Horse of the Year Show) so I was determined to have another go,” said Jerram.

Among Jerram’s other victories was a winning double riding Kings Court V who headed two ladies classes before taking the tricolour. The five-year-old bred by Sneadna O’Neill in Carlow was making his side-saddle debut, the son of Kings Master going beautifully all the way through his classes.

Jerram also clinched three victories riding for HM The Queen, the home-bred Tower Bridge winning his novice and open heavyweight classes, while former chaser Barber’s Shop headed a strong Tattersalls RoR section.

After About Town, bred by Brigit Keelagher, had been very successful as a lightweight hunter this season, the Jerrams thought their Flaming Feather seven-year-old had really matured and their gamble to up-grade him to the middleweight division paid off as Katie secured a Horse of the Year Show ticket with second place.

Robert Walker gained a championship double riding two sons of Emperor Augustus, the five-year-old former Dublin in-hand champion Caesars Palace, bred by the Doyle Brothers, taking the novice tricolour.

Standing reserve with Robert’s wife Sarah taking the championship ride was an interesting newcomer Shroughmore Emperor.fd. The four-year-old bred by Michael Jackson out of an Into The West mare was bought as a foal and he was making his show ring debut here.

Both horses are owned by Jill Day and she was seeing her four-year-old ridden for the first time at the show.

While the supreme championship and reserve went to British-bred mares Hello Dolly (Parco) and Time 2 Reflect (Cameos Reflection) – both horses winning their respective small and lightweight classes under Jayne Ross, Irish breeding was prominent throughout these championships.

CHAMPIONSHIP HONOURS

Rory Gilsenan claimed the HOYS ridden hunter championship riding Claudine O’Connor’s winning lightweight Blue Watch III.

Bred by Noel Sheridan in Co Mayo, this 10-year-old by Chillout out of Jimmys Wish (ISH) has proved ultra versatile, the free-moving grey also qualified for Birmingham in the working hunter class.

Gaining a winning double riding Designer Diamond was amateur rider Annette Buckingham.

After winning his novice small class, the Colin Diamond five-year-old, bred by Michael Lyons in Nenagh, claimed his Birmingham ticket with a win in the HOYS open class.

Annette bought her horse as a three-year-old and this was only his third show.

Buckingham gained a further win with her consistent small hunter Miners Town (Miners Lamp), and Drumconnick Diamond gained second and third in the restricted and amateur working hunter classes.

Lucy Lockwood headed the open ladies hunter class riding the Katie Jerram-produced Country Man. The eight-year-old, bred by Richard Hourigan in Limerick, is by Jackson’s Drft out of Laughtons Princess.

Irish-bred horses also fared well in the sport horse classes, Rosemary Morris winning the five-year-old class and taking the tricolour riding Lady Blackwood’s Cashel Court, an athletic son of Carna King bred in Co Galway.

The Blue Chip ridden performance final held at the recent Irish Draught championships proved to be a real thriller, the top three in the championship all very big winners, Berni White’s Loughkeen Dancing Lord taking the title for Claire Oliver, from Hallmark IX (Simon Reynolds) and the former Dublin four-year-old champion Redbridge Tiny Tim (Charles Le Moignan).

FEI CLASSICS SERIES BURGHLEY CCI****

Nicholson and Avebury make history at Burghley

NEW Zealand’s Andrew Nicholson made history at Burghley when winning the four-star venue for the third successive year with his homebred grey gelding Avebury.

They swept into the lead after the cross-country phase at the Land Rover-sponsored horse trials, the climax of the FEI Classics 2013/2014.

He also sprang into a bonus fourth place in the FEI Classics although Britain’s William Fox-Pitt’s position at the head of the leaderboard never looked in doubt. His fourth place at Burghley with a beautiful clear jumping round on Bay My Hero was enough to clinch the title for the fourth time since the series began in 2008.

Best of the Irish – and the only Irish finisher - at Burghley was Cork’s Michael Ryan and Ballylynch Adventure who featured in the top 20, finishing 16th on 91.0 after eight show jumping faults.

Unfortunately Aoife Clark, who had been seventh after the dressage on a score of 44.7, fell in the cross-country from Vaguely North and was eliminated. Ireland’s Sarah Wardell retired cross-country while Jim Newsam was also eliminated in the phase.

The door opened for Nicholson’s historic victory when Australia’s Sam Griffiths and Happy Times hit two fences to drop a place to third and Britain’s Oliver Townend dropped from overnight third to eighth with an unfortunate four rails down on Armada. That left Nicholson with a two-rail breathing space over New Zealand’s Jock Paget and Clifton Promise who had jumped an immaculate clear that was to bring them up into the runner-up spot.

Mark and Rosemary Barlow’s grey gelding knew exactly what he had to do and Nicholson kept Avebury in the perfect rhythm to jump clear for just two time faults.

Nicholson said afterwards: “This isn’t just about me, it’s about the team at home – I’m just lucky enough to ride the horse. I’ve had a bad year – I shouldn’t have fallen off at Badminton and then I really wanted to win a medal in Normandy and didn’t – so I’ve put myself under a lot of pressure. Winning this means an awful lot.”

Three horses were withdrawn before the show jumping phase including Hannah Sue Burnett’s Harbour Pilot, from seventh place, and one was eliminated at the final Horse Inspection, first-timer Britain’s Roo Fox’s Fleet Street.

There were 14 clear show jumping rounds from the 38 finishers, with Australia’s Murray Lampard finishing best of the 17 first-timers in 10th place on Under the Clocks. Gemma Tattersall was the second best of the home side, rising 22 places after dressage to finish fifth on Arctic Soul.

Badminton winner Sam Griffiths competing in his eighth CCI4**** on the 15-year-old Happy Times, finished second in the FEI Classic from Oliver Townend, the 2009 winner, who slipped a place to third. New Zealand’s Tim Price, the Luhmühlen winner, hung on for fifth place behind Andrew Nicholson, just edging out the Adelaide winner Australia’s Christopher Burton.