Horse Week: Bernadette and Teo's Chance take Horse Champion at Hagans Croft working hunter

The morning started out at 9.30am with the horse classes and the 60cm and four-year-old class.

Caroline Chambers and ‘Copper’ jumped a faultless round over the rustic course of nine fences and rode into first place within the 60cm class. Following in second place was Leah Chambers and ‘Finny Micilin’, her four-year-old gelding – this was ‘Finny Micilin’s’ first competition and Leah was delighted with how both her four-year-old’s performed on the day.

Onto the 70cm class where a total of six competitors took on the course and with only one saluting to a clear round, Danielle Connolly and ‘Jupiter Olympus’ took first place.

Second place went to Caroline Chambers and ‘Copper’, now with one first and one second placing, this was enough to earn a place within the Championship class where the pair went on to be crowned Reserve Champion Horse. Well Done!

Again within the 80cm horse class, there was a total of seven competitors, with only two competitors achieving a clear round.

This made the ridden show marks very important and when all marks were totalled up it was Edna Lyness and ‘Thunder’ taking the top spot, followed by Marina Stewart and ‘Troy’.

Elaine O’Connor and ‘Tullymurry Masha’ had a fantastic day, coming home with two first place rosettes, one in the 85cm small hunter class and then again in the 90cm, with Megan Stewart and ‘Murphy’ taking second place in the 90cm class.

As the fences were raised for the 1m class, three competitors were warming up for the challenge.

With two jumping clear again, the ridden show marks became very important.

First place went to Bernadette Curry and ‘Teo’s Chance’, with second place going to Rachel Baird and ‘Warren’.

The championship welcomed all the first and second place competitors over all six classes on the day to enter in with a chance of being awarded overall Horse Champion and Reserve Champion.

Judge David Kirkpatrick had a very hard decision to make as he admitted the calibre of horse and rider was exceptionally high, with each combination performing a foot perfect show.

However, there could only be one Champion Horse and that was awarded to Bernadette Curry and ‘Teo's Chance’ and Reserve Champion Horse awarded to Caroline Chambers and ‘Copper’. Congratulations to both competitors!

After the lunch break the ponies came out in force.

Jocelyn Hutchinson had two ponies entered and started the 60cm class off well as she took first place on ‘Rhydyfelin Starburst’ and then took second place in the 90cm class riding ‘Ashfield Dreamchaser’.

Emilie Chestnut and ‘Leim Island West’ took second place in the 60cm class earning them a place in the championship class, which took place at the end of the 1m class.

The Murphy sisters dominated the 70cm class with Lily Murphy taking first place on ‘Chantilly Pocket Rocket’ and Ellie Murphy taking second place on ‘Bronheulog’.

Ellie Murphy’s winning streak did not finish there as she took first place in the 80cm class, this time riding ‘Chantilly Pocket Rocket’, with Kara Cosgrave and ‘Lee Villa Ben’ taking second place.

The 90cm class saw a strong class of nine ponies and riders taking on the challenge. With only one competitor achieving a clear jumping round it was obvious that Taylor Ferguson and ‘Corglass Sandra’ were saluting to first place.

The 1m NIF 153cm class saw all ponies and riders finding it difficult to keep poles up across the course of nine fences and also accumulating some refusals across the course. Unfortunately no-one finished clear within the jumping phase. However, they did make up for it within their ridden show phase which was the decider for placings. Katie McKee and ‘Noah’ in first, Chloe McLaughlin and ‘Lagans Emma Silver’ in second place.

The day finished off with the Pony Championship show where two competitors stood out for judge David Kirkpatrick.

Champion Pony was awarded to Katie McKee and ‘Noah’ with Ellie Murphy and ‘Bronheulog’ were awarded Reserve Champion Pony, it was their gallop that done it! What a great finish to the day!

Hagans Croft would like to thank everyone who supported this first leg of the five-week Working Hunter League and NIF qualifiers. This league is made possible by the following people’s help – judge David Kirkpatrick and scribe Katie.

Thanks also to Black Horse Photography for covering the event. All photographs can be viewed and purchased from the Black Horse Photography website.

This league runs every Saturday until 20th April and is open to everyone, especially those wanting to qualify for the NI Festival at Cavan.

Entries are via Hagans Croft’s website www.haganscroftequestrian.co.uk or you can also enter via the Hagans Croft app. Entries close each Thursday at 9pm and times are posted late Thursday evening.

To qualify for the final in week five, each horse/pony and rider combination must compete in three out of the five weeks and within the same class. Competitors must compete in the final to be eligible for league placings, prizes and the overall league horse and pony Working Hunter Champion and Reserve Champion. Placings will be based on a points system. The final is open to everyone with a separate prize giving taking place for competitors on the day and league competitors.

To find out more about the league, please contact Gillian on 07849 106453 or go to the website: www.haganscroftequestrian.co.uk

Results (Saturday 23rd March 2024)

Working Hunter Horses

Champion Horse:

Bernadette Curry, Teo's Chance.

Reserve Champion Horse:

Caroline Chambers, Copper.

Class 1 - 60cm Working Hunter Horse & 4 year old Working Hunter Horse NIF:

1. Caroline Chambers, Copper; 2. Leah Chambers, Finny Micilin; 3. Leah Chambers, Maggie.

Class 2 - 70cm Working Hunter Horse:

1. Danielle Connolly, Jupiter Olympus; 2. Caroline Chambers, Copper; 3. Rachel Rooney, Margo; 4. Edna Lyness, Thunder.

Class 3 - 80cm Working Hunter Horse NIF:

1. Edna Lyness, Thunder; 2. Marina Stewart, Troy; 3. Seainin Mahon, General Principle; 4. Megan Stewart, Murphy; 5. Caoimhe O'Hare, Miss Mourne; 6. Danielle Connolly, Jupiter Olympus.

Class 4 - 85cm Small Working Hunter Horse (not exceeding 158cm) NIF:

1. Elaine O'Connor, Tullymurry Masha; 2. Karina McVeigh, Cococabana.

Class 5 - 90cm Working Hunter Horse NIF:

1. Elaine O'Connor, Tullymurry Masha; 2. Megan Stewart, Murphy; 3. Karina McVeigh, Cococabana; 4. Marina Stewart, Troy; 5. Rachel Rooney, Oscar; 6. Rachel Conn, Swinger.

Class 7 - 1m Working Hunter Horse NIF:

1. Bernadette Curry, Teo's Chance; 2. Rachel Baird, Warren; 3. Rachel Conn, Swinger.

Working Hunter Ponies

Champion Pony:

Katie McKee, Noah.

Reserve Champion Pony:

Ellie Murphy, Bronheulog.

Class 8 - 60cm Working Hunter Pony NIF Starter Stakes & M&M:

1. Jocelyn Hutchinson, Rhydyfelin Starburst; 2. Emilie Chestnutt, Leim Island West.

Class 9 - 70cm Working Hunter Pony NIF Starter Stakes & M&M:

1. Lily Murphy, Chantilly Pocket Rocket; 2. Ellie Murphy, Bronheulog; 3. Erin McDaid, Molly; 4. Lola Gallagher, Tyrllawn Maseratti.

Class 10 - 80cm Working Hunter Pony NIF 133cm also M&M:

1. Ellie Murphy, Chantilly Pocket Rocket; 2. Kara Cosgrave, Lee Villa Ben; 3. Taylor Ferguson, Corglass Sandra.

Class 11 - 90cm Working Hunter Pony NIF 143cm also M&M:

1. Taylor Ferguson, Corglass Sandra; 2. Jocelyn Hutchinson, Ashfield Dreamchaser; 3. Chloe Rooney, Markey; 4. Kara Cosgrave, Lee Villa Ben; 5. Ellie Annett, Wyndham Who Dun It.

Class 12 - 1m Working Hunter Pony NIF 153cm:

1. Katie Mckee, Noah; 2. Chloe McLaughlin, Lagans Emma Silver.