PJ Lehane enjoyed a dream day at Charleville Show, where the Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney, who performed the official opening, was among the thousands of visitors to the north Cork venue.

One of the country’s few remaining two-day shows, Charleville also hosted the Horse Sport Ireland broodmare championship, judged by Kristie Lucas from Wales, who opted for Lehane’s PJ’s Dream (Lux Z) as her champion, with Kieran Fahey’s Madame Noir (Kings Master) in reserve. Lehane’s good run continued when his four-year-old mare, shown by his good friend and outgoing horse board member Kieran O’Gorman (who confirmed he won’t be contesting the upcoming southern region election) won the broodmare title too. Her Munther colt won the foal championship with Fahey’s Barely A Moment colt as reserve.

Judith and Russell Cowley’s Irish Draught mare Leitra Lady (Glenlara) was the reserve broodmare champion, while Russell also showed Jane Scully’s three-year-old filly Limbo Scarlet (Ghareeb) to win an excellent young horse championship.

PJ Lehane’s two-year-old Murphy (Womanizer) stood reserve. British judge Valerie Hodgett had some interesting observations about the youngstock classes, saying: “I was very pleased with my winners as they had good limbs, but there were others who I felt had offset limbs and were light of bone.”

Louise Lyons was another who enjoyed a memorable day in the ridden hunter section when her recent Cork Summer Show winner Dartans Smash Hit (Musical Pursuit) won the championship with Alison Holden on board, ahead of Liz Mitchell’s middleweight MJI Bluemoon (Gee Apollo), piloted by Louise.

Saturday’s pony champions included Linda O’Donovan’s Caheross Duchess (Glencarrig Knight), who won the Crowley Engineering All-Ireland Connemara youngstock final, while Martin O’Sullivan and Jane Kingston won the in-hand and ridden Connemara titles with Active Beauty (Robe Earl) and Lahaknock Shadow respectively.

Emer Cunneen’s show hunter pony champion Chantilly Anchorman won the Joe Carroll Insurances overall supreme pony title on Saturday evening with Carol Ruttle in reserve with the starter stakes champion, Bronheulog Sunny Boy.