A GOOD week for Graiguenamanagh veterinary surgeon Diarmuid Ryan at last week’s Dublin Horse Show commenced in Ring 2 late on Wednesday morning when he won the Berney Bros Saddlery Connemara performance hunter class for five-to-seven-year-olds.

On board Ann Benson’s Forth Mountain-qualified Busy Bee, Ryan recorded a decisive victory as the six-year-old Classiebawn Black Jack gelding won on a total of 263 points. The winner, who is on the market, was bred in Co Galway by Sean Mulryan out of his Frederiksminde Hazy Move On mare Ech ná Habhann.

Edenderry’s Ciara O’Malley finished second on her five-year-old Innellan Phoenix gelding Newgrange Brady whose total of 251 left him a point clear of the Leah Chambers-owned and ridden Cummer Park Silver Boy, a seven-year-old Silver Boy gelding. While the scores went as low as 211, it was good to see all 16 ponies forward managed to complete.

The highest-placed stallion in fifth was the Edwina O’Connor-ridden Hannah’s Only Dun (248), a seven-year-old dun by Moonlight Silver Shadow, while the only mare in the class, the Romy Bolger-partnered Dunabbey (235), a six-year-old grey by Rosscon Abbey Tom Boy, finished joint-10th on 235 points.

Cashelbay Cruise, sire of the ridden Connemara pony champion Cashelbay Rocket, also sired the winner of the eight to 15-year-old Connemara performance hunter class, Doire Mhainaigh Robbie.

Owned and ridden by Co Wexford’s Eimear Murphy, who qualified her grey locally at Forth Mountain, the 11-year-old gelding, who was bred in Co Mayo by Michael O’Neill out of his Andy’s Pride mare Doire Mhanaigh Pride, recorded a narrow victory on 261.5 points. He achieved an excellent flatwork mark which helped negate his fence down jumping.

Co Tipperary’s Katie Wyse, who featured in these pages recently, finished a close second on her mother Anna’s 11-year-old Castleside JJ gelding Illaunurra Bay (260.5) with Christine O’Donnell placing third on Liz Power’s 10-year-old Cashelbay Prince gelding Kilshanny Robert (257.5).

There were no stallions in this 15-runner class where the highest-placed mare in ninth was the Niamh Ruane-owned and ridden Silver Shadow 15-year-old Irish Cousin (224.5). Here, two combinations failed to complete.