THE first two qualifying shows in a series of nine in this year’s Connolly’s Red Mills champion of champions ridden hunter league took place on Sunday last, May 26th, at Athenry in Co Galway and Midleton in Cork.

Run in partnership with Showing Ireland, the aim of the series is to promote the Irish show horse, safeguard showing classes and support agricultural shows right across the country. The five horses who qualified last weekend (Ann O’Grady’s Ballingowan Merit doubled up as champion and best four-year-old at Midleton) were all produced from top showing yards.