CELEBRATING an extraordinary 157 years of equestrian tradition, Balmoral Show 2026 once again delivered a spectacular showcase of top-class show jumping. From elite international show jumping to national championships and crowd-pleasing attractions, Balmoral remains one of the highlights of the equestrian calendar.

Last Wednesday, show jumping action at Balmoral kicked off with the national classes, with the Bluefrog five-year-old Championship taking centre stage. A field of 17 combinations went to post, and seven double clears were delivered. Taking the first title was Brendan Murphy with GHS Cooley, when clear in 32.25. This gelding is by Comthago VDL and is out of the Taloubet VDL-sired dam, DG Hunters Tally. This combination has proved very consistent in recent weeks, delivering double clears in the DAFM Series in Barnadown, Mullingar and Tipperary and in the 1.10m in Millstreet. They won the Balmoral qualifier in Cavan in March.