Mayo owners scored two All-Ireland wins when the last of the 2018 Irish Shows Association equine finals were decided at a resurrected Ballinasloe, which ran on a new date last Sunday. The first championship went to Michael O’Malley, from Ballinrobe, whose Banks Timber three-year-old Cregduff Camilla won the opening Parkmore Stables and Fr Christy McCormack-sponsored Connemara filly championship.

Reserve and best-turned-out of the dozen finalists was Isobel Leonard’s bay filly Drumree Pickle Parade (Illanurra Lad) and third in the Val Noone-judged final was Katie Curran’s Glencarrig Princess Katie (Glencarrig Knight).

Irish Draught foal finals

Both Irish Draught foal finals, part of Horse Sport Ireland’s showing championship series, attracted excellent numbers with 18 lining out in the opening colt class.

Here it was that the first-time All-Ireland win for Swinford owner Dominic Cassidy with his champion by Clonakilty Hero came to be. The dam is by Inisfree The Holy Grail – also the sire of the reserve champion, Kathleen Cunney’s colt that is out of a Clonleigh Dancer dam.

Third place went to Padraig Bohan’s Carrick Cottage Star colt.

In the 16-strong filly final, it was another All-Ireland first for Louise Shaughnessy, who won with her Tors Gentleman Farmer grey, ahead of Eddie Murphy’s reserve champion by his own Inisfree The Holy Grail. Hazel McVeigh’s Bannvalley Navillus filly was third.

For the overall Irish Draught foal championship between the two winners, Padraig Fitzpatrick and Sharyn Alexander opted for the Clonakilty Hero colt. They were pleased with their top line, however felt other foals lacked bone and the Draught’s trademark short cannon bone.

Donkey final

The Gerry Stronge and John Harney donkey final was split into two divisions, with John Donnellan winning the mare and foal section. James Flannelly and John O’Dowd’s Dunran Holly took the other placings. In the supplementary decider for mares, William Ryan won this with Nollaig and Edward Clarke’s Miss Brownie in reserve.

Other Ballinasloe champions included two Tipperary wins for Adrian Schoer’s broodmare by Castlecomer Q and Matthew O’Meara’s champion foal, a Pointilliste colt. Maura Rooney won the ridden horse championship with Middleburg (Westfield Bobby) and young Ava Hogan took her first Ballinasloe title with her Connemara mare by Laerkens Cascade Dawn.