It was one of the best standard of three-year-olds seen in some time last Thursday when the wide-open final was held at Bannow and Rathangan show. The judges kept the suspense going by looking at each horse in numerical order and having the top-six announced in reverse order, however the ringside money was on Daphne Tierney’s Bloomfield Waterside. Champion at his two other outings at Thomastown and Adamstown, he was shown by Michael Lyons who will now hand the reins to Jane Bradbury, to produce the grey under saddle.

Tiernan Gill’s trek from Ballina paid off with two top-four placings and he also intends to keep both to produce next year. His reserve champion was Burrough Hill Lad and he also took fourth prize with this year’s highest-placed filly Flogas Liqueur.

Slotting into third place was the third traditional-bred in the top-four; Margaret Jeffares with Ballykelly Flashdance, a half-brother to her Carnew reserve champion young horse last Saturday (report next week).

Many of the finalists will do battle in Dublin next month with the champion entered in the middleweight class while the All Ireland filly final at Bantry looks set to be another highlight.

JUDGE’S COMMENT

“Just look around at the standard, you couldn’t

but be

impressed – Matthew Ainsworth

FEATURE EVENT FACTFILE

All Ireland three-year-old final

Sponsors: Horse Sport Ireland and Galway Crystal & Belleek China.

Number of finalists: 25

19 of the 31 that qualified were traditional-breds.

Judges: Ali Tait and Matthew Ainsworth (UK).

Both judges hunt with the Ledbury and other followers include Jonty Evans, A.P McCoy, Davy Russell and Paul Carberry.

RTE’s Nationwide crew were filming at the show for a pre-Dublin Horse Show programme

The champion is named ‘MJ’ after his breeder who sold him last year.

Ballykelly Flashdance (3rd) and Flogas Liqueur (top-placed filly) were last year’s All Ireland champions at Tinahely and Kildysart.

RESULTS

All Ireland three-year-old final

Champion - Daphne Tierney’s Bloomfield Waterside (gr g by Watermill Swatch - Bannvalley Stargazer, by Annaghdown Star. Breeder: M.J Kavanagh, Kilmuckridge).

Reserve - Tiernan Gill’s Burrough Hill Boy (ch g by Porsch - Knockrath Sneeze, by Cyrano. Norman Allen).

Third - Margaret Jeffares’s Ballykelly Flashdance (ch g by Gortfree Hero - Corrib Eva, by Salluceva. Owner).

Top filly - Tiernan Gill’s Flogas Liqueur (b by Barnaby Flight - Greenhall Last Web, by Weavers

Web. Derry Rothwell).

More Bannow and RathaChampions include:

John Cleary’s Dolly Diamond Dancer (broodmare); Matt Cosgrove’s Neringo filly (foal), Derry Rothwell’s Greenhall Lottie (young horse), Angus McDonnell’s Statesman (ridden hunter), JJ Bowe’s Chesney (working hunter), Becky O’Neill’s Giants Causeway (intermediate), Susan O’Connor’s Trefriw Pepsi (show hunter pony), Becky Barossa Stud’s Barossa Signal (youngstock and in-hand pony) and Shauna Walsh’s Oscar (donkey).

Cuffesgrange Euro delight

The Cuffesgrange breeding operation in Co Kilkenny has struck again with Cuffesgrange Caviladam and Cuffesgrange Little Ric, selected, with riders Seamus Hughes Kennedy (IRE) and Saffron Cresswell (GB), for the FEI European championships in Kaposvár, Hungary later this month. It is the third year in a row that Cuffesgrange Little Ric, by their resident teaser out of a Ricardo Z dam, has been selected for the British team.