ONE year shy of its 40th anniversary, the Breeders’ Championship has carved out a core following on the Irish show circuit. The championship’s format, devised by the late Thady Ryan, of judging the mare and foal as a combination was a novel move back then, away from the traditional mare or foal classes.

The past champions Roll of Honour is both a ‘Who’s Who’ of showring greats and a timeline for tracking the changes that have taken place within the Irish Sport Horse herd. And something more difficult to quantify but evident in abundance is the pride when the winning numbers are called out.