THERE were few surprises in the showing arena at the recent May Day Show at Lusk Equestrian with some of the leading local riders claiming championship honours.

Since its inception, this show has served as a warm-up for Balmoral and it’s great to see both fixtures now back on track on their usual dates following the interruption due to Covid-19.

Making a return visit as showing judges were Pat Loughlin (conformation) and Brian Murphy (ride) of Gowran Hunt Horses who put in a long day but one where the classes ran on time thanks to showing director Paul Horner and Fran Warden.

In the hunter division, the champion came from the ladies’ hunter class where the busy Lesley Jones stood top with Yvonne Pearson’s Irish Sport Horse gelding, Quality Choice. This five-year-old bay by OBOS Quality 004, who was third in his lightweight class and second in his working hunter class at the re-scheduled Balmoral last September, was bred in Co Clare by Paddy Donnellan out of the Womanizer mare Ballylean Tower.

In his class, Quality Choice stood ahead of the Clare Steele-partnered R Ballerina, a seven-year-old home-bred mare by Centre Stage who has plenty of eventing experience behind her, while reserve in the championship was the four-year-old class winner, Terry Johnston’s Hi Mr Red.

This chesnut gelding by Tjipke, who was ridden by Hannah Whittle, was bred in Co Tipperary by John O’Sullivan out of the Harlequin du Carel mare Red Red Wine, a full-sister of Up In The Air (CCI4*).

Native champion

In the section confined to native Irish breeds including cobs, the champion was the Irish Draught class winner, Ratheoin Jack In The Box, who recently claimed the ID title at the Equine Awards NI series final at Gransha under Gwen Scott.

Here, the bay gelding by Hillview Superstar was ridden by his owner, Declan O’Neill. The four-year-old was bred in Co Leitrim by Seamus Rogers out of the 2007 Classic Vision mare, Rosharry Princess.

For their reserve, Loughlin and Murphy chose the cob class winner, Randalstown Brown Thomas who was ridden for Sam McAteer by Lesley Jones.

Nicola Martin won the riding horse championship on the traditionally-bred Sister Act 2 who belongs to her father Tim Martin, one-time owner of the aforementioned Quality Choice.

This four-year-old winner of the riding horse class was bred in Co Wexford by the late Des Noctor out of the Coille Mor Hill mare, Kemella Clover Diamond. Reserve in this section was the Clare Adair-owned and ridden Dot, an 11-year-old piebald mare by Pieter who topped the final line-up in the coloured horse division.

In preparation for Balmoral, all the showing classes were held on grass, as were the working hunter classes where the course heights ranged from 60cms to 1.10m. These were judged by Roddy Dean (jump), assisted by Blanche Thompson, and Reid Finlay (ride and conformation), assisted by Charlene Scott.

While there was no championship in this very mixed division, there were a few results worth noting such as James McEvoy’s win in the 80cms young horse class on his Ard VDL Douglas gelding Sumas Foxy. This chesnut four-year-old was bred in Co Kilkenny by Susan Lanigan O’Keeffe out of the Master Imp mare, Cillmhuire Imp.

Lesley Jones recorded a treble starting in the over 143cms Mountain & Moorland class with Emily McGowan’s recent Northern Ireland Festival supreme pony working hunter champion Tullaree Fear Bui, a nine-year-old Connemara gelding by Templebready Fear Bui.

Jones won the following 1m open horse class with Yvonne Pearson’s Doublmax, a six-year-old OBOS Quality 004 gelding who won at Balmoral last September, before completing her hat trick in the 1.10m class on the same owner’s eight-year-old Loughehoe Guy gelding, Cairnview Redwood Guy.