IT was a happy case of deja vu for Co Carlow producer Thomas Quigley who emphatically landed the RDS Potential Event Horse title for the second year in succession. Sticking with a successful format, Quigley’s runaway winner was once again a SIEC Livello- sired grey gelding, this year being the home-produced Limbus Livello. The athletic individual out of MS Lady Rose, by Carrera VDL, posted a weighty six point advantage over the field, and was, according to judge and legendary event rider Pippa Funnell, “a real blood horse with a great walk and canter and one I would love to take home.”

Livello Limbus had been in contention from the outset and, having slotted into equal second place after the morning’s presentation phase, was promoted after a calm, soft and fluent display of jumping. “I bought him from Brendan McSorley last year, but I have known him since he was a foal. He’s a lovely horse and much credit goes to Tina Codd who has helped me with him and put in so much work,” said Quigley, before adding that the Ciaran Loughran-bred grey had recently been sold to Cooley maestro Richard Sheane.

Sporting a generous prize fund – this year supported by DAFM and delivered by HSI, the lucrative winner’s pot of €5,000 and monetary rewards for all qualifiers ensures this is always a highly competitive class. Seventeen starters (11 geldings, six fillies and one colt) from the six regional qualifiers came forward on Wednesday morning, where they were initially assessed on the flat. It was quite a daunting task for Funnell who commented: “It was an incredibly tough class to judge. I’m aware that they are all babies, so to see their attitude in this electric atmosphere is very important. I was also looking for correct conformation, range in movement and the wow factor.”

Déise Orion was second in the three-year-old potential event horse class at the Dublin Horse Show \ Claire Nash

Six marks adrift in second place, and gaining the next best jumping mark, was High Sierra Farm’s Déise Orion, a well related gelding by Ulyesses out of the KWPN dam Weseley Wonderfly (Hors la Loi). A half brother to the five-star event horse Global Ex, he - like the winner - had qualified at the Top Flight Equestrian Centre in Kilkenny and, bred by Aiden Browne of Deise Sport Horses, is one of the latest graduates to emerge from the High Sierra Farms/Stevie Keane production line in Co Waterford.

“Kim Myers (the owner of the American based High Sierra Farms) keeps her stock with Aiden until they are three, then I take them on to produce,” explained Keane. “After the morning session I was a little disappointed as he didn’t score so well, but he more than made up for it in the evening. He’s a real event type with a great attitude and a trainable brain. We have had a few customers asking about him, but future plans are still undecided.”

Beautifully presented

Each starter carried forward a mark out of 50 based on the conformation, and paces in walk and trot. There were a further 100 up for grabs in the evening session, which as usual was staged in the cage in the international warm-up sand arena. These marks were divided into sectors for jumping technique, canter, reflexes, standard of training and potential, and although flexible at times horses had six opportunities to impress. While all were beautifully presented, probably more than usual found the electric atmosphere in the cage a little overwhelming. As a result, some of the early scores were turned on their heads, but one who retained her spot was Ado Moran’s highest placed filly Ballyv Annie, by the top event sire Diarado out of KMS Paris by Ard VDL Douglas. Bought as a foal from the Goresbridge Supreme sale at Barnadown and bred by Ballyvarogue Stables, she is a sibling to the smart Ballyv Blake who, under Jordan Coyle, headed the seven- and eight-year-old class the following day.

Another filly to impress was the fourth placed Doonaveeragh Betty, a daughter of Lagans OBOS Quality out of Doonaveeragh Grace (Balou Du Rouet). Just one point in arrears, she is owned jointly by her breeder/handler Andrew Gardiner together with British event horse owner Chris Makin.

Talking afterwards, Pippa Funnell was full of praise for the quality of the stock: “Winner aside, the scores are so close and the majority I would be happy to take home to produce. I loved several horses further down the line. However in eventing you can’t get away with a weak phase, and you have to remember that they do have to gallop - and in some cases I did question whether they might not do so over 11 minutes.”