Thursday’s final stop during Horse Show week for breeders and producers, the three-year-old loose performance class, sponsored by HSI, is an absolute must for those involved at grass roots level. This year’s class attracted a healthy crowd to the Simmonscourt arena. Judging the 10 colts and geldings and 10 fillies was Great Britain’s former International show jumper Andy Austin.

The colts and geldings took to the stage first, followed immediately by the fillies. This class aims to provide an outlet for young horses likely to make high-class show jumpers and identify performance fillies that may be suitable as broodmares. In general, all of the horses performed well with, as usual, the odd individual overawed by the surroundings.

Of the 20 qualified finalists, most were by sires that could only be described as having out-an-out show jumping genetics.

Sligo Candy Boy (ISH), Newmarket Venture (Hann) and OBOS Quality 004 (OLD) all had two progeny qualify, while the WBFSH number-four ranked Cornet Obolensky (BWP) had three progeny qualify for the finals.

Colts and geldings

In the colts and geldings section the spoils went to SVS Valiant, a bay gelding by Je T’Aime Flamenco. The stallion that was formerly ridden by Billy Twomey at the highest level and now stands in Ireland.

The gelding is out of Venco by Oklund (KWPN), who was purchased from the Netherlands by Brian Hutchinson. Brian initially intended to compete her, however, an injury in the lorry meant she went the breeding route.

This was Hutchinson’s first attempt at qualifying for the RDS loose performance class. The powerfully built gelding gave an exuberant exhibition of jumping to win the class.

Second went to Eddie Moloney’s very impressive home-bred Cornet Obolensky gelding, who is out of You Two Norma. She competed herself in the Dublin Horse Show as a five-year-old in 2008 with Richard Moloney. This attractive grey gave a strong performance on the night.

Third place went to Ado Morans’s unnamed bay gelding, again by Cornet Obolensky, who was bred by Martin Doyle from Fenagh, Co Carlow.

Fillies

In the fillies section, the winner was Trade Horse Ltd’s River Field Cornet Chin. This Cornet Obolensky filly was bred by James Farrell from Kells, Co Meath, and produced by Jason Higgins. She showed herself very well to emerge as champion. She now heads for Brightwells Addington Elite Sale in the UK on 17-18 August as lot 33.

No doubt her achievement last Thursday in Dublin will hold her in good stead next week.

Purchased in the field as a two-year-old, she is the end product of some good breeding decisions – having both Adatus Z and Diamond Chin in the dam’s pedigree.

In joint second was Kennedy Brothers Sporthorses Unnamed filly by OBOS Quality 004 out of a Cruising mare.

Bred by Peter Rice from Keady, Co Armagh, her pedigree also includes the noted sire of show jumper Diamond Lad.

This big, long filly looked very scopey in the jump and pleased the crowd and the judges.

Also in joint second was John Nicholas’ home-bred Zirocco Blue filly, Lissavoora Blue.

From Murroe in Co Limerick, Nicholas bred her from his Coevers Diamond Boy X Cruising mare, Lissavoora Triple C, whose pedigree also includes the great Clover Hill.

Commenting on the calibre of both the colts and fillies presented on the night, judge Andy Austin said: “I’ve been very impressed with the quality of horses presented, particularly the top placings in both categories.

“The big named stallions do deliver as is evident here tonight.”

Director of Breeding at HSI, Alison Corbally was on hand to make the winning presentations on the night.

As well as congratulating the winners and their connections and commenting on the high calibre of horses presented by breeders, she also added that it was wonderful to see the influence of the proven damlines that have been retained in Ireland.