THE Irish Draught Horse Society Ltd held their 33rd National Breed Show recently, a return to Ballinasloe Showgrounds after an enforced two-year hiatus. The weather made for pleasant showing and spectating. All the usual in-hand classes featured.

Judges for the day were Ann Kay, Philip Copithorne, John Corbett, Paddy O’Donnell and Alice Copithorne.

The foal classes were well supported with a full complement of entries. The colt foal class went to Seamus Duffy’s Kilmovee Charlie, with a mature son of Kilmovee Lionhawk. The filly foal title went to Patrick Finn’s Frenchfort Dream, with a superbly balanced daughter of Gweebarras Dreamtime Star. Like many other shows, youngstock entries were a little more sparse, but the quality was there.

Former chairman of Horse Sport Ireland, Prof. Pat Wall presented a Devenish Heritage Herd colt, by Baltydaniel Romeo, to win the yearling male class. The filly equivalent was won by Tom Ormond with his well campaigned daughter of Cappa Aristocrat.

A broad base of sponsorship allowed for excellent prize money, with HSI being the main sponsor in three classes, and supporting a number of others.

Ballinasloe ‘native’ company, Dubarry, provided supplementary prizes to each of the championships, in addition to recognising the best turned out equine, and best dressed adult, and young handler.

The broodmare classes included a few more traditional types, smaller powerful mares with good movement. The special HSI-sponsored Small Mare class was won by Marcus Donnellan’s Suileen Pippy, a proper traditional type. And the well-filled veteran mare class went to Seamus Duffy’s Castana mare Kilcashel Abbey. In the end, Liam Lynskey’s mature mare DS Come Bounce with Me Baby was broodmare champion.

The ridden champion was William McMahon riding Grace Maxwell Murphy’s five-year-old gelding Gleann Rua Oscar Wilde. The reserve went to Liam Lynskey’s stallion, DS Ballagh Bouncer, the winner of the mature section.

The young handler class was won by the very talented Katie Doyle. Katie was leading the reserve broodmare champion Glorious Gaze, owned by her grandmother, Breda Sheerin. Katie Lynskey won the best dressed young handler.

The best dressed adult was David O’Toole of Louisburgh, Co Mayo, leading his young broodmare, Willow Rose.

The best turned out horse was the seven-year-old gelding Diamond King Henry by King Alton, led by his owner Niamh Macken of Glasson, Co Westmeath. This horse also won the Maydean Stud In-hand gelding class.

Honouring John A. Cogan

The jewel of the open classes, was a memorial parade for John Anthony Cogan. John A. had been the brains behind such a class in the 2018 show. Both rings were opened up, to showcase a spectacle of Irish Draught mares and foals. This silent procession honoured the character, and life’s work of this well known, respected, and successful producer of our horse. All participants received a premium. The popularity of this class ensured that other classes were also filled, and this may be a template to encourage people to show, especially in these days of rising fuel and feed costs.

The overall championships were eagerly contested with Tom Ormond’s yearling filly Cappa Lady Sylva, winning the Supreme Champion of the Show. It was a day for fillies as the reserve went to the foal champion.

The show was a day of harmony. The venue is ideal for such an event and it is hoped that there will be many more such days, in the future.