SHOW JUMPING

Emer Bermingham

The Irish Breeders Classic took centre stage at Barnadown last week. Along with the young horse classes, it also hosted the penultimate round of the SJI National Grand Prix and the final of the TRM/Horseware New Heights Champion Series.

On Thursday, it was 16-year-old Kilkenny rider Jack Ryan who took the honours in the final round of the 1.35m Mervue Equine Leinster Summer Tour. Riding Cavalier Teaca, he lodged the winning round of 38.18. It was also a win for Kilkenny’s Tholm Keane as a fourth-place finish with Warrenstown You 2 when clear in 39.94 meant that he had clinched the overall league title just ahead of the 2016 champion, Francis Connors.

The 19-year-old Warrenstown You 2 made a return to the arena having had a prolific career with Keane up to 2014 and the pairing competed in International arenas in Dublin, Lummen and were members of the Nations Cup team in Finland.

Owned by Ronan Tynan, the French-bred is out of Narcos II and out of the Daz-sired dam Dilettante. The stallion has proven himself, having sired show jumpers You Two Kelly, who was sold to China, and Jay Fligh, who has clocked up results in Italy. He also has progeny in the eventing arena: You 2 Cavalier and Borneo Crackdown.

Winner of the 1.20m division was Jason Higgins and Ursula D’Amaury when clear in 32.56 seconds, while the overall champion was Stephen Murphy and Exelsoir Van De Noordheuvel.

NATIONAL GRAND PRIX

On Friday, Liam O’Meara cemented his lead on the SJI National Grand Prix leaderboard ahead of the final at Maryville next weekend.

Riding Mr Coolcaum, the Tipperary rider galloped home to take the win in the George Mullins International Horse Transport and Harry and Leslie Fitzpatrick-sponsored Grand Prix when clear in 38.24.

Bred by Kevin Farragher from Galway and owned by O’Meara, Mr Coolcaum is a 13-year-old traditional Irish Sport Horse gelding by Coolcaum Hill out of the Indian Ruler-sired mare Ranch Lady.

On Saturday, winner of the final round of the TRM/ Horseware New Heights Champion Series was Capt Geoff Curran with Dollanstown. The combination were one of eight to contest the second round and delivered the only double-clear.

Bred by Lars and Caroline Bjoerk from Kildare, the 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding is by Ard VDL Douglas and out of the Cavalier Royale-sired mare Wyndham Rose Royale. The mare has produced off-spring for both the eventing and show jumping disciplines.

Following an impressive performance over the course of the league, a third-place finish in the final for Greg Broderick and Chinook II saw him take the title – and with it the National Championship crown. Broderick had taken four wins, two runner-up placings and five other placings since the league started at Louth County Show.

IRISH BREEDERS CLASSIC

On Saturday, Francis Connors took the win in the €10,000 Irish Breeders Classic seven- and eight-year-old final. Riding BP Castlefield, he lodged the winning round in 35.38. Bred By Tom Tait and now owned by Mary Ann Papp and Wrenwood Stables, BP Castlefield is an eight-year-old gelding by Luidam out of the Darco-sired Wendoliene. As a six-year-old, the gelding competed in Lanaken under Connors’ command. In 2014, while owned by Greg Broderick and Ger O’Neill, he won the five-year-old class at the Dublin Horse Show.

On Sunday, all eyes turned to the Irish Breeders Classic five- and six-year-old final, which held a prize fund of €33,000. Leading the victory lap was Ger O’Neill riding Eamonn Murphy’s Columbcille Gipsy. This combination had impressed throughout the season when taking the Pettitts Novice show jumping five- and six-year-old championship at Bannow and Rathangan, winning the ISH Studbook Series in Maryville, and finishing sixth in the qualifier at the Dublin Horse Show, before going on to take fifth place in the championship.

Bred by Murphy and O’Neill, Columbcille Gipsy is a six-year-old mare by Toulon out of Gipsy III. Murphy and O’Neill also have Columbcille Gipsy’s two-year-old full-sister, Columbcille Modell. The mare has been crossed with Dondoctro Ryal K and has one five-year old (Columbcille Doctro) and one four-year-old (Columbcille Don). The combination will be representing Ireland in the up-coming FEI Young Horse Championships at Lanaken.

Murphy also won the breeders prize of €1,000, sponsored by Horse Sport Ireland, and a Luidam nomination, sponsored by Euro Stallions.

In the four-year-old final, Judges Marion Hughes, Ger O’Neill and Greg Broderick found the winner in the Jennifer Kuehnle-piloted Imnotafraid Fortuna. Owned by Jonathan Flynn, the stallion is by Dallas VDL out of the Vingino-sired Debutante Fortuna.

The stallion impressed through the qualifiers as he maintained a clean sheet all week. The Jonathan Fitzpatrick memorial trophy was presented by the Fitzpatrick family.

In the HSI show jumping filly foal championship, it was Boleybawn Cosimia who took the honours.

Greenacres Jordan won the colt foal championship.