THE Laois Branch of the Irish Draught Horse Breeders Association held their annual show on Sunday July 1st at Stradbally Hall, by kind permission of the Cosby Family, in conjunction with the National Hound Show and Stradbally Family Fair.

The show attracted a record entry of over 100 Irish Draught and Traditional Irish Horses across 14 in-hand and ridden classes where the judges were Pat Hoare and Walter Kent in the in-hand ring, and in the ridden and working hunter classes, Charlotte Moore (conformation) and Kevin McGuinness (ride) presided. The day kicked off with the Barren/Stinted Mare class which was won by the nine-year-old Barbervilla Lily. This Gortfree Hero mare, who was bred by Michael Jennings, was previously campaigned very successfully under saddle by owner Sophie Marks and is scanned in foal for next year to Scrapman.