BALLINASLOE brought the agricultural show year to an end with a packed showground playing host to multiple finals and championships last Saturday, while the adjacent Fair Green doubled up for parking facilities.

Irish Draught owners also had a double opportunity to contest All Ireland finals and Mayo owners James and Seamus Duffy’s good day began with a win in the Martin Conneely championship with their Kilmovee White Carnation and Harkaway Lionhawk combination.

Standing reserve in the IDHS-ran final was Seamus Sloyan’s Elm View with her Fast Silver colt and in third place was Liam Lynskey’s veteran Lady In Red Star and her Kilcotton Cross filly.

In the other breedingstock championships, Aidan Hogan won with another S.I.E.C Livello colt out of a half-sister to the YES young event horse contender Gatestown Master. Tiernan Gill’s Dublin purchase got off to a good start with her new owner when the Barnaby Flight won the filly championship.

Another Dublin winner, P.J Glynn’s Crannaghmore Lad, by the German thoroughbred Near Dock, struck again in the yearling championship.

Wicklow exhibitors dominated the ridden horse section with the experienced pair of Angus McDonnell’s Party Time, an 11-year-old by Kildalton King and Alan Brodigan’s King Flagmount, by another Irish Draught sire in Welcome Flagmount, winning the ridden championship and side-saddle class.

Fiona Donohue scored a double in the Connemara and working hunter pony championships with her Coosheen Storm Boy-sired Duntally Storm, while Marjorie Hardiman’s versatile Creganna Belle, from the Danish and Swedish performance Connemara lines of Frederiksminde Hazy Match, won the ridden pony title.

Another native pony, Jerry Moloney’s purebred Welsh Penswig Blackadder was the in-hand champion at the country’s oldest show.