JUDGES Louise Duffy (ride) and George O’Malley (conformation) had a long day last Saturday at the Flavours of Fingal County Show in the grounds of Newbridge House and Farm, Donabate, where they assessed the ridden horses in Ring 1.

Their champion appeared early as this was the winner of the opening riding horse class, the Nicola Perrin-bred, owned and ridden Ballarin Rose Bud who wasn’t shown at four but has won every time out this season including at Balmoral and Raheendaw.

A half-sister to two Horse of the Year Show finalists, the bay Ballysax Hero mare is out of Seefin Rosewood (by Nash Me) who died last autumn. She is survived by this winner and three other fillies. Ballarin Rose Bud is in foal herself to Radolin. “The Dublin Horse Show will be her last competitive outing for a while after that,” said Perrin. “I’m going to enter her in the riding horse class and the stinted mare class at Dublin but she will be on the market; there has been a lot of interest in her.”

Emily MacMahon stood reserve on the coloured class winner, Kildangan Bellatrix, a nicely-marked four-year-old skewbald mare whose owner, Cathy Grassick, bypassed day two of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby Festival at the Curragh to attend the show.

Good weekend for Ryans

Having roared home his twin brother James on the Tony Martin-trained Tudor City in the prestigious apprentice Derby at the Curragh on Friday evening, 18-year-old Ivan Ryan initiated a showing double here in the cob class on his father Kieran’s Chantilly Chipmunk. The heavyweight six-year-old, who was purchased four years ago from Paul and Imelda O’Shaughnessy, won at Nugentstown last year and was sixth in Dublin.

There was a racing connection also with the second-placed horse here, the Philippa Scott-owned and ridden newcomer SCT Shenanigans.

As the owner and her partner, racehorse trainer Thomas Coyle, have a busy few weeks ahead of them it was decided to send the four-year-old dun maxi gelding over to Philippa’s father Philip in Co Mayo.

They chose a near midway drop off/collection point of Roscommon racecourse on Tuesday where the transfer took place after the Coyle-trained Manhattan Dandy won not only the second division of the apprentice handicap but the turn-out prize as well.

Chris Carter and his 11-year-old Clew Bay Bouncer gelding Cloonan Hector had their usual busy day and in this section alone contested both the amateur class, which they won, and the Irish Draught class where they were beaten into second by Laura Snow on a similarly-aged Clew Bay Bouncer gelding, Tilmans Hero.

The clash with the North East Connemara Pony Breeders Show on Saturday affected numbers in the breeder classes here.

Malahide’s Sarah Skinner (12) won the two-runner class for riders under 16 on the four-year-old Maecon Boy mare Liskillen Melody while Kilmessan’s Emily McMahon doubled up in the class for riders over 16 on another four-year-old, the Kinamara Hillview Silver Sparrow gelding, Highfield Cobra.