CLONAKILTY EXHIBITOR Seamus Lehane dominated the youngstock section at the RDS this year, and yesterday his two-year-old Ballard Eagle was crowned supreme champion ahead of Lislan Last Hope, owned and shown by Saintfield’s Sam McCormick.
Both won their respective age championships on Thursday and yesterday Lehane got another bay gelding through to the judging for the Laidlaw cup when his home-bred son of Ghareeb, Ballard Playboy, landed the yearling title, with Gillian Lyons’s Emperor Augustus filly Lisnagade standing reserve.
Capping a wonderful show for the Corkman, Ballard Playboy then went on to take the Pembroke cup for the champion owned-bred exhibit.
“I can do no wrong!” exclaimed a delighted Lehane. “I had great support from outside the ring throughout and the whole day has been magic. I first showed a horse here in 1994 and he won his class and was reserve champion.
“I couldn’t get a red again until yesterday and to win this supreme championship has fulfilled a lifetime ambition.
“If I’m tempted I might sell the two-year-old but I wouldn’t mind at all bringing him back again next year.”
While yesterday marked a first victory in the supreme championship for Lehane, he had been involved in the early careers of the previous two Laidlaw cup winners, Good Guy and Bouncer.
The prestigious Breeders’ Championship was also won by a Clonakilty owner/breeder, with Kieran O’Gorman repeating his win of last year with his 10-year-old Cavalier Royale mare Kildysert Royale, who was shown with an April-foaled colt by Lux Z.
The popular Hannovarian sire, which stands at Kedrah House Stud, was among the five-star stallions that took part in a parade in Ring One immediately following the Breeders’ Championship.
Judging of the medium-weight and heavyweight hunters took place in Ring Two, and Wicklow-based rider Jane Bradbury continued her good show when winning the medium-weight mares class on the Wafer Brothers’ Ghareeb four-year-old Miss Conci.
In the four-year-old geldings class, however, she had to settle for second place on Bloomfield Ackzo, as Lynn Boggs partnered her own and Tom Spence’s Harlequin du Carel chestnut to victory.
In the championship for coloured horses, Nicola Perrin took the title on Fintan Flannelly’s home-bred four-year-old skewbald gelding Royal Shakespeare.