Successful native breeds and winning coveted titles were the standout features of Balmoral showing championships recently.

Donegal owner Robert Davis won the overall young horse championship with the lightweight division winner Emperors Touch (Emperor Augustus), with Ann Lyons taking the reserve title with another three-year-old and the filly champion Greenhall Push Button (Financial Reward).

Once again, Ghareeb supplied another Balmoral broodmare champion – the third in four years – and on this occasion, it was Patrick Wafer’s Parkmore Evita. Wexford Horse Transport’s Rose Garland (Mr H VII) took another broodmare reserve title and her Nigrasine filly won her class too. Paula Howard’s Greenan Fort colt claimed the other foal class.

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Elm View (Elm Hill) completed her collection of major Irish Draught broodmare titles with a Balmoral tricolour for Seamus Sloyan, while Daniel Molloy’s Gortfree Hero colt and Gerard Sweeney’s Kings Master filly won the purebred and partbred Draught foal classes.

Mike Lewis’s small hunter and ladies side-saddle winner Carnsdale Irish Times (Murphys Irish Diamond) won the overall hunter honours. Former Limerick Lady champion Assagart Mistress (Kings Master) took the other ladies hunter for owner John Roche and Audrey Smyth had a memorable double in the cob championship with Vincent Van Cob.

In the working hunter and Irish Draught performance championships, there were wins by Victoria Teuton’s Waterstone and Alicia Devlin Byrne’s King Flagmount (Welcome Flagmount).

In the other native section, Adrienne Daly’s Bob Marley (Ashfield Bobby Sparrow) won the Connemara championship and Goldengrove Ponies produced another Balmoral pony champion when Mary McDonnell’s Goldengrove Sunrise won the show hunter title. Janet McIlroy’s lead rein winner Bryngwenno Maxwell saw off the challenger of his larger rivals to seal the ridden pony championship.

Continental sires continued their winning streak in the Balmoral young event horse championships, with Emma Jackson recording a back-to-back double in the four-year-old division, this year with Carra Lux Quality (OBOS Quality). Carol Gee owned the five-year-old division winner Gebaliaretto (Rousseau).