Now expanded to a four-day event, last week’s Balmoral Show had a steady stream of special guests including British prime minister, Theresa May MP and Prince Edward.

Southern raiders, possibly enjoying their last pre-Brexit outing to Northern Ireland’s equivalent of the defunct Spring Show, had a successful time with several championships recorded.

Yet again, a broodmare daughter of Jay Bowe’s late Ghareeb captured the Balmoral championship when Paula Howard’s Slatequarry Sasha, the winning broodmare in last year’s The Irish Field Breeders Championship, was crowned on Wednesday.

The 11-year-old lightweight broodmare winner was bred by Dr Moira McKelvey, who earned a 2016 Horse Sport Ireland breeders award for the mare’s Breeders Championship and Coote Cup double at Dublin.

Standing reserve was Richard Gildea’s heavyweight broodmare class winner Grove Hill Heather (Cougar).

Another 2016 Dublin champion, John Roche’s Assagart Kingstead Fiona (Huntingfield Rebel) won the Irish Draught broodmare championship with Liam Lynskey’s Strictly Come Bouncing (Moylough Bouncer) in reserve.

Dromara exhibitor Dessie Gibson recorded another Balmoral championship when his three-year-old CAFRE Quater Master (O.B.O.S Quality) won the young horse title, ahead of his yearling, Rolex (Watermill Swatch).

RIDDEN CLASSES

Another stable companion, this time O.B.O.S Quality’s Coolballyshan Stud resident Future Trend, produced the Balmoral ridden hunter champion; Daphne Tierney’s middleweight Bloomfield Bespoke.

This recent Thomastown champion took the tricolour ahead of Scottish exhibitor Kirstine Douglas with lightweight, Man Of Honour.

Cruising bloodlines dominated the working hunter horse championship won by Emily McGowan’s EMS Richeal’s Pet (Loch Cruise) with Antonia de Burgh’s Gypsy Cobra Cruis (Cobra) as reserve.

The young event horse and ridden Irish Draught sections are now in their third year.

Rachel McKimmon’s four-year-old Oke Ruby R (Namelus R) and Mervyn Gibson’s five-year-old Randalstown Commando (Ricardo Z) topped the event classes, while ridden Irish Draught honours were shared between Alicia Devlin-Byrne’s reigning Dublin champion King Flagmount (Welcome Flagmount) in the performance division and Valerie Glass’s The Poacher (Rockrimmon Robisticus).

Another native breed title went to Galway exhibitor Michael Harty with his Connemara champion mare Frederiksminde Mellow II (Hazy Dawn) and Carlow owner Jane Hancock enjoyed a working hunter pony double with Coppenagh Spring Sparrow and Corries Jack In A Box.