THERE was mixed results at Dublin last week for the Irish Draught stallion Gortfree Hero, sire of this year’s supreme champion hunter Fort Knocks. However the stallion’s owner Sean Barker has called for an explanation from the RDS about last Friday’s class when the two-time former champion was placed at the end of this year’s line-up.

According to Andrew Gardiner, who showed the stallion at Dublin, he was told by a steward that the horse was lame and that he had been given instructions to leave the horse unplaced.

“We don’t want to take away from the winner or any of the other horses in the class, it’s not sour grapes at all,” said Barker this week. “The best of luck to PJ Fitzpatrick and his champion and I fully accept that judges look for different type Draughts. ‘Frank’ is a traditional heavyweight type and the proof of that is the fact that he not only produced the heavyweight and supreme champion hunter Fort Knocks, but he consistently produces the kind of Irish horse that’s getting harder and harder to find.”

“It’s just the way the class was handled. If the horse was lame, he should have been taken out of the class. I would have preferred if that had happened than leaving him standing there.”

Barker, from Tourmakeady, had Gortfree Hero examined by both a veterinary surgeon and equine physiotherapist the same day and both felt that the 14-year-old was sound.

He filed an official complaint with the RDS before he left the show and has received a response that they are looking into the matter. Barker said: “The horse has done all his connections proud and has nothing to prove to anyone. It doesn’t seem to have affected Frank’s popularity but we would still like an explanation regarding the way the class was handled.”

In response to a request from The Irish Field, the RDS issued the following statement: “The RDS has reviewed the documentation in relation to the Irish Draught stallion class and spoken to the relevant officials.

“There is no evidence that any animal was not judged in this class or that there was any issue in relation to animal welfare.”