SOME special awards were presented at last weekend’s Slieve Bloom Stud national dressage championships at Barnadown where the Midland & Western Region’s Simone Hession, who was recently elected to the board of Dressage Ireland, was once again the recipient of the Irish Draught trophy.

A multiple winner of the award as rider, Hession claimed it for the second time on board the home-bred Beezies Double Diamond who finished seventh in the Inter 1 championship. The 16-year-old grey gelding, who has over 320 DI points, amassed 109 Show Jumping Ireland points before being campaigned solely as a dressage horse. The Gentle Diamond grey is out of the Pride Of Toames mare Princess Of Woodlands.