TWO former stable-companions stood champion and reserve in the cob section at last week’s Balmoral Show and, on this occasion, it was the younger of the pair, Jennifer Kennedy’s Moneycross, who claimed the honours over Pat Loughlin’s rarely beaten GHH Peaky Blinder who was ridden, as usual by Brian Murphy.

Winner of the lightweight class in the P & O Ferries Arena on Friday morning, Moneycross had already shown himself in form this season with three wins from three outings, leaving the Northern Ireland Festival in Cavan with two championship successes to his credit. The six-year-old grey, who was bred in Co Kerry by John McCarthy, is by the Irish Draught stallion WRS Elvis but there is no recorded breeding for his dam so he is deemed to have an ‘unknown’ breed type.

“I bought him early last year from Sam Cushe and Brian Murphy ,” reported Kennedy. “He was just broken with very little done as Brian had another lightweight cob for a client. I am aiming him at Dublin again (finished fifth last year behind the Murphy-ridden Goodnight Master) and will show him lightly for the summer to keep him fresh. He is produced at home on the family farm in Killenagh outside Gorey.”

While Murphy stood reserve with the Irish Draught maxi cob GHH Peaky Blinder, an 11-year-old by Rockrimmon Silver Diamond, he had to choose between that grey and Vicky Tennant’s seven-year-old palomino gelding Hollyrock Cooper Jack who judges Bridget Millington (conformation) and Emily Corrie (ride) had topping their final line-up in the heavyweight class.

Riding horse championship

Rathangan’s Nicola Perrin took added satisfaction in winning the Event Technical Services riding horse championship as she also owns and bred the large class winner the Irish Sport Horse mare, Ballarin Rose Bud. This traditionally-bred five-year-old is by the ID stallion Ballysax Hero out of the Nash Me mare Seefinn Rosewood, dam previously of many successful show horses.

Malahide’s Ciara Mullen stood reserve on another ISH mare, the small class winner, Chantilly On The Rocks. Champion in Dublin last year and owned by the rider’s mother, Rufina Shiel Mullen, this five-year-old is by the Dutch Warmblood stallion Guinness out of a mare by Hector van d’Abdijhoeve.

Two Waterford exhibitors finished first and second in the Bluefrog coloured horse class.

Sharon Hallahan topped Bridget Millington’s final line-up with Silverbirch Stables’ 2022 Dublin winner, SBS Da Vinci’s Masterpiece, a seven-year-old home-bred piebald mare by Da Vinci while Alana Popa finished second on her 2022 Balmoral winner, Sir Dollar, a 16-year-old skewbald gelding.