After an absence of two years due to Covid-19, the Laois Branch of the Irish Draught Horse Breeders Association was delighted to once again host its one- day event in the beautiful surroundings of Stradbally Hall, Co Laois, on Sunday, May 1st.

Unlike previous years where the sun shone, this year’s competitors had to contend with typical Irish weather as the rain fell steadily throughout the day. Both the show jumping and the cross-country proved influential, with the ditch on the way home proving a problem for some combinations. The event featured three classes which were all filled to capacity and all three classes were won by combinations finishing on their dressage score.

Class 1 was for pure-bred Irish Draught horses and featured a number of seasoned campaigners. The top three placed horses all finished on their dressage scores - Loughmelvin Cochrann (Gortfree Hero ex Loughmelvin Failte) took the red rosette on a dressage score of 23.7. Mark Carroll rode this nine-year-old chesnut mare for owner Marie Brophy.

Finishing in joint second on a score of 24.6 was Alicia Delvin Byrne aboard the five-year-old gelding The Kings Silver (WRS Elvis ex Lisrobin Lady) and Laura Snow on her home-bred six-year-old stallion Drynam Hero (Gortfree Hero ex Cushnahans Mist).

Class 2 featured part-bred Irish Draughts, Connemara, Thoroughbred and Traditional Irish Horses. This class was won by Amy Grady on the five-year-old Connemara Pony Glynsk Star (Lonsdale Legend ex Likester Silver Lady). Amy and the grey gelding finished on their dressage score of 28.3.

In a close second on 29.4 was Siobhan McDermott on Gurtagarry Ranger ISH (TIH) (Boherdeal Clover ex Lady Ballinlough). The TIHA very kindly presented a prize for the highest placed TIH which was awarded to Siobhan and her 13-year-old bay gelding.

Finishing in joint third on a score of 32.9 was Robyn Maher and the six-year-old grey gelding River Cottage Mikey (Cow Pasture Lad ex Supersplash) and Vicky Cloney on Gentle Bouncer (Grange Bouncer ex Gentille).

Class 3, the Leisure Horse class, was won by Joy Ffrench on her own Lily’s Rose. This 12-year-old gelding finished on his dressage score of 26.8 to beat Alicia Delvin Byrne on Chesterfield King Curtis into second.

The Laois Branch of the IDHBA expressed its thanks to all the volunteers who helped on the day and the Cosby family for the use of their fabulous estate. Fans of Irish Draught and Traditional Irish Horses should mark Sunday, July 3rd in their diary, as that day will see the return of the IDHBA Laois Branch Show to the venue.

The feature class on the day will be the Laois Branch Breeders’ Championship and the day will also have a full schedule of classes for mares and foals, youngstock and ridden horses.