FIVE shows, from Armagh to Charleville, staged qualifiers for the ladies’ side-saddle and intermediate side-saddle championships at next week’s Dublin Horse Show with the top three at each eligible to enter the final.

Most of the riders who qualified in the ladies’ class are familiar on the side-saddle circuit with north Co Dublin’s Rebecca Rafter getting her campaign off to the perfect start at Armagh on June 11th. There she won on her father Pat’s hunter Roanwood Mick Dundee, the 15-year-old Tjipke gelding with whom she finished fourth at Dublin in 2019.

A week later, when she beat her sister Suzanne into second, Co Limerick’s Lyndsey O’Brien won at Gorey on her Irish Draught gelding Mr Bloomfield, a six-year-old grey by Gortfree Hero who is having his first season under side saddle. The following day, at Athlone, Mary Rothwell won the qualifier on board her father Derry’s five-year-old Millhollow Stroller gelding Greenhall Stroll In The Park.

Alicia Devlin Byrne stood top of the final line-up at Charleville on her 10-year-old Kings Master gelding, Chesterfield King Curtis while it was Rafter who again fared best at the Flavours of Fingal Show on Saturday, July 2nd. There, Katie Crozier finished second with her five-year-old Gortfree Hero gelding, Mountview Silver Fox, who has also qualified for the performance Irish Draught championship where he will be ridden by Gwen Scott

The intermediate class winners were Hannah Horgan on Kinamara Laura (Armagh), Jessica Murphy on Darcy de Chanteloube (Gorey) and Jessica O’Brien with My Fair Lady (Flavours of Fingal). Lesley Jones partnered Emily Pearson’s Suilen Dunally but, as there was a possibility of Jones being required in another ring at the same time at Dublin, the owner took over in the saddle to qualify at Charleville on the nine-year-old Connemara gelding who was third in the RDS in 2019.

The ladies’ side saddle class is due to commence in Ring 2 just before 1pm on Thursday with those in the intermediate class having a similar start time in Ring 1 on Sunday.