LOUGHLIN HITS THE PEAKS IN WICKLOW

WINNING a supreme championship on a showing debut takes some style, as Pat Loughlin’s five-year-old gelding, The Peaky Blinder, demonstrated at the Wicklow Branch Irish Draught Show at Spruce Lodge.

First winning his cob class, the dapple grey later went on to land the riding horse title and ultimately the supreme sash under stable rider Brian Murphy.

Bred by Peter and Sandra Noonan out of their Mountain Diamond mare Larigan Coolderry Diamond, the son of Rockrimmon Silver Diamond was acquired last September through Galway producer Jack Connors.

Cobs

Loughlin and Murphy of Gowran Hunt Horses are specialists when it comes to showing cobs, and this youngster is now a strong contender for the Dublin Horse Show, where they have won Maxi Cob titles in the past with such horses as Fieldmaster and Gunpowder.

Bad weather had forced the final championship deciders to be moved indoors and all finalists were paraded before the seven judges who selected their reserve champion as Seamus Duffy’s Kilmovee White Savannagh.

Entries in the Connemara classes were strong all morning. Alicia Devlin-Byrne had a show to remember with her long-time partner Blackwood Fernando who swept the boards before going on to land the Connemara Championship for the inaugural Rescue 116 Memorial Cup, presented by Donal O’Beirne of Hoofprints Innovations and members of the Coast Guard Helicopter Rescue Crew.

Also present was John Fitzpatrick, father of the late Captain Dara Fitzpatrick who lost her life in the accident at sea on March 14.

Reserve in the ridden championship went to Sophie Marks riding the eight-year-old Barbervilla Lilly, who was following up on her championship win at the Cheval Show the day previously. The young horse accolade went to the Hannigans’ three-year-old filly Yukon Pearl, while Tom Mooney’s filly by Fintan Himself claimed the foal championship.