Bloomfield horses hit a winning streak
Balmoral win icing on cake for Bradbury and Tierney, writes
THE stunning fiveyear-old Irishbred gelding Bloomfield Bespoke crowned a fantastic week for show horse owner Daphne Tierney and rider Jane Bradbury by landing the supreme hunter championship at the prestigious Balmoral Show.
Ironically on the same day, on the other side of the Irish Sea, both Bloomfield Excelsior and Bloomfield Valhalla also won prestigious titles for show horse producer Jayne Ross, crowning a terrific run of success for Bloomfield horses.
“It was a super day all round,” commented Jane Bradbury, who minutes after winning her second ever Balmoral crown, discovered that her former RDS champion Bloomfield Excelsior had won the supreme hunter championship at the Royal Windsor Show.
Earlier in the day, Jayne Ross had also ridden Bloomfield Valhalla to win the novice hunter championship there, adding to his title won at Tattersalls in 2016 for the Bloomfield show horse team.
FORMIDABLE FORCE
Winning Balmoral, though, was the icing on the cake for both Jane Bradbury and Daphne Tierney who have been a formidable force on the showing circuit for several years.
“Daphne really is a fantastic supporter of the showing scene,” Ms Bradbury commented, “and I am delighted to win this for her.”
The rider last won the Balmoral crown in 2008 with Trevor Wallace’s Adamstown.
While several of their horses are home-bred by Ms Tierney in Newcastle, Co Wicklow, Bloomfield Bespoke was sourced at Goresbridge as a three-year-old. Bred in Clare by James Nash, he is by the Oldenburg stallion Future Trend.
His dam Malibu On Ice carries Irish bloodlines as a daughter of the Irish Draught Prospect Pride. “In reality Balmoral was only his fourth show,” Jane commented, adding that 2015 saw the striking grey claim both the reserve middleweight and four-year-old titles at the Dublin Horse Show which is now on the list for a return visit this coming August.
At Balmoral, Bloomfield Bespoke was the pick of the group for visiting judges Robin Sharp and Libby Cooke, with the reserve champion’s sash going to the Scottish-based Man of Honour. Earlier, there were great celebrations when Yvonne Pearson’s mare Queen Bee landed the four-year-old ahead of Hurst Show Horses’ home-bred Tattygare Something Special, ridden by PJ Casey.
While Adrian Hurst was present to see his youngster make a super debut under saddle, Adrian’s wife Shirley was pre-occupied in the young horse rings showing Dessie Gibson’s CAFRE Quarter Master to win the supreme championship.