THERE are few people in the showing world as hard working as Grace Maxwell Murphy. The 2023 Dublin Horse Show saw her hard work pay off as she rode Glencarrig Douvan (Glencarrig Knight - Wyncroft Dawn) to the Ridden Connemara Champion title in Ring 2 on Thursday evening.

Bred and owned by longtime friend Patrick Curran, the meaning of this win for all parties was clear as the breeder joined the Champions in the ring to receive the Eugenia Murray Cup. “It’s hard to put into words the feeling of seeing him not only compete in Dublin but to go on and take the Championship. Winning was the dream but we didn’t think it would be a reality as he is only five. He has shown the class act we saw in him from the moment he was born,” a proud Patrick described of his stallion’s achievement.

It was the son of Glencarrig Knight’s first time to Dublin having been backed under a year ago by Grace and husband William McMahon. First to enter the ring for the stallion class, he won against ponies twice his age. Maxwell Murphy’s ring craft shone as he moved from second to first after the individual show.

Presence

“He has a lot of presence and you can’t make that. A pony either has it or they don’t,” Grace said of the pony Curran had earmarked for her to produce as a yearling. The pair’s road to Dublin was remarkable. Less than six months ago, Grace was preparing to have her third child and William was temporarily out of action with a significant shoulder injury.

The dream of getting the stallion to the RDS would win out in the end as Grace was back in the saddle with Douvan 13 days after baby Archie arrived. “I had been lunging and working him from the ground and I felt good so it was the right time to get back riding him.”

Douvan’s Ridden Championship win follows a season covering a full book of mares at Glencarrig Stud in Moycullen, where he counts his illustrious father as a stable mate, and in-hand championships from Roundstone and Ballyconneely. The stallion headed straight to Clifden this week where he won Wednesday’s young in-hand stallion class, followed by the ridden stallion class and reserve championship on Thursday.

The Isobel Leonard-bred and Jane Kinsella-owned bay stallion Drumree Dandy Man (Illaunurra Lad x Croboy Jass) finished second after the individual assessment with Jamie Smyth in the saddle. Another of Glencarrig Knight’s sons, Glencarrig Bracken (Glencarrig Knight x Templebrady Penny), rounded out the top three. Ridden by Jessica Murphy, the grey stallion owned by Kathy and Brógan Curley is also five-year-old and was bred by Padraic Curran.

“My rock”

In the spirit of this summer’s Barbie-mania Zoe Price described her four-to-five-year-old ridden Connemara winner Lough Derg Star (Glencarrig Joe x Sellernane Beauty) as ‘Ken’. “If he was a girl he’d be Barbie,” explained an elated Price who rode the Maire Collins-bred five-year-old for his second year to qualify for this class.

Placing fourth 12 months ago, the flashy bay grabbed attention from the start and was pulled in first initially by judges Mrs Barbara McGrath and Ms Sharon Thomas. Clear instruction on a set show was given with riders encouraged to use the entirety of Ring Two to perform their individual ridden requirements. Lough Derg Star, or ‘Mounty’ as he is known at home, ticked all the boxes to retain top spot.

“We bought him as a four-year-old from the Clifden Sales. I saw three steps of trot and I knew he had it. We bought him for my daughter. She’s very good with the breakers but decided she didn’t want to ride in the ring any more. He’s been my rock. We are heading for Clifden next week for the first time. He will go in the four to five-year-olds again and in the U16 and U14 ridden classes with my younger daughter before heading to Mullingar to try for the HOYS qualifiers,” said Price. The pair were crowned ridden champions at Clifden on Thursday.

The Ciaran Curran-bred Glencarrig Kingman (Glencarrig Knight x Miss Eleanor) moved up to second from third after his ridden show and confirmation assessment under Grace Maxwell Murphy. In his first season out, the four-year-old gelding has impressed at some key venues across the summer winning the Tattersalls Novice Connemara class and his Dublin qualifier at Scarteen. “I’m really pleased with him. He’s an exciting young pony to have. He can go back into that class next year and he’s a pony we are going to keep because we really see huge potential in him,” explained Grace.

Third went to Emily McGowan’s four-year-old Derrylackey Playboy (Lightening Star x Derrylackey May). The bay gelding was bred by Mary Dermody and ridden on the day by Lesley Jones.

Under 17 joy

The ponies that presented for the Berney Brothers Saddlery riders Under 17 class exemplified the Connemara’s characteristics of rideablity and temperament. The true hearted nature of Daryl Curran’s Caherpuca Chappy would captivate on the day. Daughter Amira (13) rode the six-year-old Coolin America “unicorn”, bred by Michael and Kendra Rabbitte out of Loughfadda Darling, consistently throughout the class to retain top spot.

“I wasn’t expecting that,” she beamed in the afterglow of her win. The story of their pairing is a reminder that the heart wants what the heart wants. Daryl explained they originally planned to purchase the gelding at Christmas but decided on another pony in the end. Despite that, Amira kept a photo of the gelding beside her bed. “She was always mentioning him so I bought him as a surprise for her from Ciara Mullen.” A week after the purchase, the pair won their Forth Mountain qualifier.

Their RDS experience did not end there as later that afternoon the smiling duo would stand reserve in the Ridden Championship. Trained by Sadbh O’Connor, Caherpuca Chappy will head to Mullingar to aim for the HOYS qualifier as an incredibly bright future pans out ahead for this pair. The General (Glencarrig Prince x Connemara Rose) and Hannah MacKey retained their second place after their individual show. The 10-year-old gelding is owned by Sarah and Emily Widger and was bred in Galway by William Connolly.

Ellie Rogan rode the eye catching dapple grey Bobby Sparrow Blue gelding, Tullaree Fear Buí to finish third for owners Cathy Cooper and Nicola Main. Bred by Clive Swindell out of a Tullaree Silver, this pair also headed for both ridden and Working Hunter classes in Clifden this week.

Dream

As the Over 17 class commenced, sponsored by Berney Brothers Saddlery, there seemed a change of atmosphere watching ringside. What was at stake became palatable with the desire to win hanging heavy in the air. The class that followed would see the judges deliberate for some time once the individual assessments were complete as riders gave it their all in an effort to stand out from the crowd.

In a reshuffle, Monaincha Belle and rider Elly-Rose Dixon would emerge victorious. “She went in there and she knew she had a job to do and she did it today,” Elly-Rose (19) spoke of her forever pony. “We bought her from Barry Higgins when she was six. She has just gotten better and better every year.”

The Kinvara Boy mare is owned by her mother Alyson Dixon who described it as “a dream come true. We all work very hard at it so we are ecstatic,” she said of her daughter’s win. Bred by Mick Hennessy from Tipperary out of Leam Silver Rose, the pair will head for the HOYS qualifier as part of the IPS Summer Championships this coming weekend. Pauline Dahill aboard Nire Valley Hope finished second. The 14-year-old mare, bred by Carmel Melody, is by Glencarrig Prince out of Ardríon Na Nuidhre.

Securing a top three finish in third was Charlotte and Gill Glynn’s Slievebloom Hilda (Brock Lodge Buster x Slieve Bloom Gail), ridden by Lucy Glynn. The grey mare was bred by Laois’ Joseph Conroy.

A mention to the dun mare with the gallop of dreams, Kinamara Laura (Cashelbay Chip x Lady Sparrow) who with rider Kate Hogan would take reserve in Sunday’s Intermediate Side Saddle class. The nine-year-old, bred by Michael J Burke was presented as a native with her flowing black mane loose and finished the highest placed Connemara in the class behind John Hagan’s IHR Chantilly on the Rocks with Ciara Mullen aside.