Tipperary Area Spring Show Belline Equestrian Centre

17th April 2011

The sun shone again this year at Belline Equestrian Centre for the Tipperary Area Spring show.   This fantastic venue is fast becoming one of the most popular shows on the circuit.  A huge crowd turned out with over 120 ponies entered.  BSPS panel Judge Caroline Whitely travelled over from England and judged the show ponies in the morning as well as the open working hunters in the afternoon.  She was impressed by the standard of ponies put before her and amazed at the level of sponsorship the show had generated through very generous local support.

Many local businesses and supporters sponsored classes and Gain Horse Feeds sponsored the Supreme, as well as several Championships, with bags of feed and jackets.  Equus Pixs were the event photographers and kindly sponsored championships with vouchers for their fabulous pictures and did a roaring trade in the sun.  The Tipperary Area Championships were the brainchild of Lucy Townsley and were very popular, with the highest placed children resident in Tipperary going forward to their own championships and supreme.

Mia Bannon rode her first ridden pony Barkway Chorister to perfection all day and was a popular and deserved winner of the Supreme, after first taking the show pony first ridden and then the hotly contested Mini Championship with this well produced previous Royal International winner.  Reserve Supreme went to another pony with previous English form, Glenhuntly Trojan Troy, ridden by Alex Burns, who was winner of the Starter Stakes Championship ahead of new combination Hollyvale Citation and Katie Madigan.

Olivia Marnane had a day to remember riding her mother Theresa's Goldsworth Royal Salute.  They won the Tipperary Area Starter Stakes Championship and the open 133 show hunter, as well as two reserve championships on route to winning the Supreme Tipperary Area Championship.  Royal Salute was found in Wales last autumn and Olivia hopes to start jumping him before the end of the season.

Shannon Sheridan had a red letter day in the working hunter ring, taking the performance championship in the morning riding Jan Hay's Quiverhill Remember Me.  Later on in the day she won both the 143 working hunter with Mocklershill Lucky Lady and the 153 class with Remember me.  Eliza Hancock took the reins on Lucky Lady in the Championship and under a polished ride took the Championship with Quiverhill Remember Me standing reserve.  Reserve Performance working hunter went to Kippure Sabrina, ridden superbly by Kirsty Connel for owner Joan Vaughan.  Judge Jane Darragh said her Champion and Reserve both jumped exceptionally well.  Kate Conroy was delighted to win the Tipperary Performance Championship with a consistent round on Sportsfield Phantom, while James Philips also had a good day winning the Mountain and Moorland Championship after winning the small breeds working hunter.

Sharon Fitton judged the show hunters and the Show Hunter Championship went to the attractive Tyn-Y-Cae Gold Kite ridden by Alix Cunneen, they were the inaugural winners of the JJ Punch Bowl, kindly donated by the Steyn-Keating family.  John Healy's Connemara stallion, Meelickisland Rebel took the Mountain and Moorland title after winning the large breed’s flat class.  Ridden by Susan Cleary, this attractive 5 year old recently gained his class 1 grading at Clifden and is already covering mares.  Reserve here went to Mia Bannon again on the lovely Grey Welsh pony Ravara Sweet Sensation.

Esme Mansergh-Wallace rode her mother’s popular grey Pebbly Huntingfield to win the intermediate championship after winning the intermediate show hunter and Michaela Steyn-Keating took reserve spot with JJ Punch.  Betsy O'Connor judged the youngstock classes and Mary Carters Show Hunter pony Araglen Highflyer came out on top with Michael Mead's newcomer, Hanora's Little Gem, collecting the reserve.