AGLISH GYMKHANA PUTS THE ‘SHOW’ BACK IN SHOW JUMPING
AS HUGE CROWD SEE RECORDS BROKEN
BY BRIAN HENNESSY
(full picture coverage from aglish in next 24 hours)
At a time when traditional horse shows held on green field site’s around Ireland face increasing challenges, such as finding sponsorship and providing good footing for horses and riders who tend to prefer to jump on artificial surfaces at equestrian centres, the annual Aglish Gymkhana held on Sunday last near Cappoquin Co Waterford, proved that with a hard working committee, imaginative classes and some help from the man above with the weather, nothing can quite beat the atmosphere of a local show.
A record breaking turnout of competitors and spectators were treated to an action packed day of action, blessed with glorious sunshine, on the lands of William and Caroline O Brien at Kilmolash, held in aid of West Waterford Hospice Home Care Support Team.
IN FORM KEANE WINS ON HOME SOIL
The feature class of the day was the first round of the Munster ‘Greyhound Night’ Grand Prix League which will take in eight rounds throughout the province with 17,000 euro up for grabs along the way. With a start list of forty horses and riders, course builder Tom Holden built a suitably challenging track with fence one catching quite a few out in the first round. With his usual design brilliance, Holden gauged the field to perfection with eight riders making it through fault free to the jump-off.
It almost turned into a Co Waterford white- wash with six of the eight coming from the Deise County. Kilkenny’s Michael Hutchison bucked the trend and in Puissance sired mare ‘Cullenagh Lucinda’ he looks to have found a real star, eventually finishing seventh with one fence down in the clock round. Co Cork’s Sean Walsh was another who grabbed some of the 2,000 euro on offer from sponsors ‘Aglish Gymkhana’ with a smart clear (44.89 seconds) with the Robert Splaine owned ‘Billiebob’. Cappagh Co Waterford lady rider Gemma Phelan set the early pace with her own ‘Kilcannon Brigade’ stopping the clock clear in 42.62 seconds which was good enough to eventually take fifth place.
This Aglish Grand Prix had been billed as a battle between Francis Connors and Tholm Keane and the Waterford duo as usual didn’t disappoint, by filling the top four places between them. A clear in 40.02 seconds with Westwinds Cirracruise left Connors in fourth with his first mount, while Keane took third with Walterstown Clover (39.28). However in a thrilling climax the Ronan Tynan owned Redmills Krafty Jack who looks in the form of his life, was untouchable on the day with Tholm Keane trusting the Diamond Serpent gelding all the way in a blistering time of 36.44 seconds for a memorable win. Last to go with ‘Lismore Coasting’, Francis Connors gave it everything but had to settle for runner up spot with a time of 38.62.
‘’Normally he (Krafty Jack) puts on too much weight during the winter, and it is really difficult to get him fit at this time of year. But we seem to have managed to keep him in better shape this year and he was brilliant here today, it was especially nice to win on home soil’’, commented Tholm Keane afterwards.
NEW AGLISH HIGH JUMP RECORD SET, AS WATERFORD TRIO SHARE THE SPOILS
A real crowd pleaser last year, the Aglish high jump once again thrilled spectators this term when a field of eight horses and riders produced a super exhibition of power jumping. The record set in 2009 of 1m 80cm looked vulnerable from the outset and at the finish a new high jump record of 1m 92cm (6 ft 3inches) was set with three Co Waterford born riders sharing the 1,000 first prize from sponsors Molastin Compost. Francis Connors (Heracross), Mark O Sullivan (Milord de Kerganne) and Paddy O Donnell (Orman) all cleared the huge fence after the final fifth round of jumping.
SPEED DERBY HEADS WEST YET AGAIN
For the second year in a row Galway’s Amanda Fahy travelled from Co Galway to land the Speed Derby sponsored by Fran Mangan Builders, after a blistering round with ‘Lackhyle Limited Edition’. and in an emotional moment for the Aglish Gymkhana committee, collected the Addie Buckley memorial trophy.
The opening class in the main arena headed to Co Kildare when Maynooth’s Michael White and ‘High Park Lad’ claimed the Catherine Cummins Memorial Trophy in the 1 20m, sponsored by Lissava Stud, with Tallow’s Paul Beecher taking the runner up spot with Loughnatusa Kim.
The pony riders once again provided their own unique style of entertainment, not least in the ‘Clothes Horse Equestrian Store’ sponsored Carling King Pony League where clear rounds were the order of the day from a talented group of future stars.
Among the many winners on the day was Jack O Donoghue who landed the ‘Bike and Ride’ competition which was sponsored by FBD Insurances. Aime Moloney from Colligan, Dungarvan collected the Lelia Veale Perpetual Cup when winning the 148, 1 20m, with the Catherine Kiely owned Mighty Patch.
The organizers of Aglish Gymkhana should take a bow, with excellent commentary from all four jumping arena’s, classes run off in prompt fashion and prize money paid out on the day (making it all the sweeter), just some of the ingredients that make it one of Ireland’s top annual equestrian events!