KILDARE breeder John Stafford, who used to be involved with racehorses, experienced the similar ups and downs of show horse ownership last Sunday on day two of Tattersalls July Show.

In the morning, judges Richard Telford (ride) and David Ingle (conformation) dropped Stafford’s Major Malone from first to second in his lightweight ridden class. However, the five-year-old later saw off a top-class, mixed field to be crowned the winner of the Connolly’s Red Mills Champion of Champions series final where the judges were Samantha Stephenson (ride) and Lucy Kilingbeck (conformation).