FOR most of Saturday at last week’s Dublin Horse Show, Ring 2 staged working hunter pony classes before the hard-working judges, Madeleine Beckman and Stuart Hollings.

It was good to see the season’s form hold up, commencing in the starter stakes where Evie Kennedy won on her mother Maeve’s very much in-form Maihem First Edition, an 11-year-old British-bred mare by the Welsh stallion, Ballagh The Boss.

Carla Williamson was no doubt disappointed that she hadn’t been selected for the European pony eventing championships in Poland, where her brother Josh was on the gold medal-winning team, but she received some consolation when winning the 133cms class here on her father Norman’s Connemara gelding Oh Dakota Justice.

Graham Kenny and Chloe Roche’s Connemara gelding Ballinasloe Pixie Beauty made light of his 21 years when the son of Templebready Fear Bui was partnered to victory in the 143cms class by Abigail Kenny. And yet another Connemara gelding, the 14-year-old Cashelbay Prince grey Creganna Dandini, who was ridden for her mother Marjorie Hardiman by Lara Field, landed the 153cms class.

It was a thoroughbred who came to the fore in the 158cms class, the 10-year-old Whitmore’s Conn mare Ferdi Whitmore winning for the mother and daughter team of Adrienne Daly and Shona Lynch. In second here was none other than the tireless Jessica Murphy and Darcy de Chanteloube.

Carla Williamson’s day got even better when she was announced as champion on Oh Dakota Justice, a 12-year-old grey by Rebel Justice. Lara Field was beckoned into the reserve slot on Creganna Dandini.