NORTH Co Dublin’s Kevin McGuinness judged the first of the Connemara working hunter qualifiers for this year’s Balmoral Show last Sunday at The Meadows, where the 2025 flat and performance champions, Amira Curran and Caherpuca Chappy, topped the scores in the opening young riders’ class.

One of the most successful combinations on the Connemara scene since Curran’s father Daryl made his first foray into pony ownership in 2023, the pair have a special affinity for Balmoral, where they claimed the ridden title in 2024 before recording last year’s double victory. They were reserve ridden champions at Dublin in 2023, where last August they were second in their class to the reserve champions.