THE European Apprentice Championships were an unqualified success at Dundalk. Even the harshest critics would have to concede that the harness racers brought colour and atmosphere to the modern complex.

Obviously, the hometown guy (well Skibbereen to be exact) winning helped a lot. However, it was gratifying to see during the week that the runner-up Adria Riera Vaquer of Spain and the third-placed Daniel Debono of Malta shared photos of their placed efforts on social media in their homelands, a sign that they valued the silver and bronze medals, as such.