LAST CHANCE FOR DUBLIN
Temperatures soared at Wednesday’s RDS Horse Qualifiers at Balmoral where reduced numbers didn’t make qualification any easier for the competitors on their last chance for a place in the Dublin Horse Show.
A ninety three strong startlist for the Four Year Old class saw only twenty five combinations progress to the judged round where John McAuley, Brian Hughes and Marcus Buser were charged with finding a winner.
Buser commented on what stood out for him when judging and on the system in place saying, “I don’t think you can mark high enough for future potential. A lot of emphasis is placed on the proper technique but from my perspective the most important thing is scope and attitude, they have to want to jump. You also have to take the mechanics of a horse into consideration. A big horse will not always have found his technique but personally I believe if they get high and are scopey and supple in the air with the right attitude it will all come together.”
Gabriel Slattery took the honours aboard Casey’s Cruise. Bred by Ballinasloe’s Martin Conneely, the gelding is by Cruising out of a Diamond Lad dam and finished way out in front on an aggregate score of 97.22. Slattery has had the Vincent Meaney and Tom Casey owned gelding since March and offered praise saying “He’s a nice horse and he has a really good mind for a Cruising.”
Gabriel Slattery & Casey's Cruise
Lux Z emerged as a sire to take note of with six of the second round combinations sired by the Hanoverian. The Catherine Thornton piloted son of Lux Z Derryinver Luxury Cruise came closest to the leading score when awarded a mark of 93.33 for the runner up position. Owned by David Campbell, the entire is out of a Cruising mare that goes back to Legaun Prince. Thornton also slotted another Lux Z youngster into seventh position in the line up when Patricia Kavangh’s Ardmoy scored 86.33.
Both Cathal McMunn on the Cavalier Royale / Clover Hill cross Sandor and Sam Malone on Olympic Lux Clover were awarded scores of 88.33 but a higher mark on future potential boosted the David McLoughlin owned Sandor into third position in the line up.
The Five Year Old class again proved hotly contested with one hundred and six hopefuls competing for nine places. Clever course building paid off for Tom Holden when nine triple clears guaranteed a tidy finish to the class. Carlow man Donnacha Dermody scored the red rosette with Royal Ransom when stopping the clock at 45.25, over a second ahead of nearest rivals Philip Gaw and Rocky Bond.
Dermody has produced the Kings Servant sired Royal Ransom since his purchase as a three year old from Kilkenny’s Tom Fitzgerald and the pair finished in the top twenty at last year’s National Championships. Dermody, delighted with the result, praised the five year old gelding saying “I like the breed of horses, I rode Kings Servant. He’s a nice horse. He’s careful, he has a good mind and he is easy. Anyone could ride him!”
The Six Year Old class proved a disappointing affair with only seven combinations managing to negotiate the first round without mishap. With the three places carried over from Barnadown a total of twelve tickets to Dublin had been on offer but Wednesday’s result means that there will now be five less on the startlist in the RDS. Six went forward to jump off against the clock when Harvey Smith decided to sit things out on his own Porsch mare Porsha.
Edward Doyle came out in front when as first to go on the Ard VDL Douglas sired Delano he supplied the only double clear of the day. Speaking afterwards in his capacity as Chairman of the Showjumpers Club Doyle made the following remarks about the five places left vacant, “With the rule on clear rounds the last qualifier is struggling to fill the quota and you are left building a smaller course, I’ve no doubt that it was not as big today as others were. It would be better to build to the proper standard and take what horses you get. It needs to be looked at.”
Commenting on the Heike Steckan owned Delano he added “He’s doing all the right things at the moment. He was second in Dublin as a four year old and second in Cavan as a five year old so hopefully this year he will win Dublin as a six year old.”
Clem McMahon set the standard early in the Seven Year Old class with the Limerick mare Belle Rock. Acting as pathfinder on all three occasions the Clones based rider set the unbeatable target of 34.37 in a ten horse jump off.
McMahon has been partnered with the mare since her five year old year and has booked their place in Dublin consistently since then. The pair has been on form of late with a runner up placing in the Irish Studbook Series at Mullingar.
Clem McMahon & Belle Rock
The Eight Year Old and Over turned into a close run class when clear rounds proved to be a rare commodity. Michael Beattie forced a jump off with Ranome Z when delivering the eighth and final clear but proved unlucky on his second outing with the Belgian bred gelding when faulting twice, leaving him out of the running.
Six riders managed to repeat their first round performances with Nicola Fitzgibbon having a particularly good day when leaving all the poles still in their cups on both Looping Star and Puissance. The six divided the placings with seventh position in the line up going to Michael Whyte with Highland Lad on a single error.
Nicola Fitzgibbon & Looping Star
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