THE Down Royal Corporation of Horse Breeders supported Friday night’s Northern Region point-to-point awards ceremony in the Dunleath Suite at Downpatrick.

The award winners were Dara McGill (leading rider with 10 wins, award presented by DRCOH committee member Peter Magill), David Christie (leading trainer with 15 wins, award presented by Ruth Morrison, Assistant Manager Downpatrick Racecourse), Ray Nicholas’ Bold Enough (leading horse with five wins, award presented by Molly McCluskey of DRCOH), Alan and Bill Dunlop (leading breeders of Annaghbeg who won three times for the Ross Crawford yard, award presented by DRCOH committee member Max Ervine and Chairperson, Pamela Ballantine) and Wilson Dennison (lifetime achievement award presented by DRCOH Chairperson, Pamela Ballantine).

The stunning winners’ trophies were specially commissioned by the Down Royal Corporation of Horse Breeders from renowned Fermanagh-based artist Simon Carman.

Exquisitely detailing the thoroughbred head and shoulder, each bronze was unique and was modelled, cast, and patinated by hand by Carman, one of Ireland’s most respected sculptors.

The trophies were set on a polished Kilkenny limestone base decorated with a map of Northern Ireland and an engraved brass name plaque.

Carman was also responsible for the beautiful and eye-catching thoroughbred portrait on the front of Friday’s celebratory race card. The original drawing was a large-scale compressed charcoal on paper which has been sold to a private collector.

Now, I’m sure readers are wondering how I have such technical knowledge of the trophies and card cover and the answer is simple – Carman, who happily invites commissions in sculpture, drawing or painting, is married to Helen Sharp, journalist with The Irish Fieldand editor of the publication’s Horse Sense pages, and I pressed her for the info! Similar trophies were presented to connections of the winners of the day’s two hunter chases.

Ballingarry

On Saturday, Dara was riding at Ballingarry where he landed division one of the five-year-old geldings’ maiden on Aughafatten who was having his fifth start. Trained by Gerald Quinn for Philip McBurney, the winning bay is by Mahler out of the Mujadil mare Olivia Rose, a seven-time winner on the flat. This 16th success of the season saw Dara crowned national champion rider under 21.