AS soon as those competing in the Gallagher Dublin Horse Show side saddle qualifiers left Ring 1 at the Flavours of Fingal County Show last Saturday, Nathan Deakin (ride) and David Kirkpatrick (conformation) entered it to start judging the hunter classes.

First up were the smalls, where their winner was Newtownards exhibitor Andrea McKee on last year’s Dublin champion, the nowadays misnamed Ebony King, who was third at Balmoral in May. The 14-year-old dappled grey gelding, who has numerous championship successes to his credit, was bred not too far from Newbridge House by Willie Shanahan. The more locally-based Amy Watchorn finished second on her Irish Sport Horse gelding Highview Tallorder, a nine-year-old chesnut by Sligo Candy Boy.