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Press
Report for the 2010 show
N. I. Festival
– the Show Must Go On!!
The Northern
Ireland Festival is a two day showing extravaganza that was recently
held at Cavan Equestrian Centre, Ireland. The show has been going for
6 years now and has the reputation of being Ireland’s Premier
Horse & Pony Showing event. This year the local committee had
more than the usual show headaches to deal with in organising such a
large show!!
On the day
that all the judges were due to fly into Ireland, all flights were
cancelled due to the volcanic dust cloud that was approaching from
Iceland! So instead of having nine GB judges as planned the committee
found that only three would be on site for the show. Robert Parker
Jones had travelled across earlier in the week and Gill and Andrew
Bayley Machin had already made plans to travel across by ferry.
After a
frantic morning of re-planning, numerous phone calls and rearranging
classes, the show was confirmed as being able to continue –
against all the odds! This was only made possible by the resilience,
determination and flexibility of the panel of judges who changed
their travel plans to make sure they arrived at the show as well as
assistance from judges who dropped everything to stand in at the last minute.
Jack
Cochrane drove to Liverpool to catch an overnight ferry across to
Dublin and then drove up to the show grounds arriving one hour before
classes starting. Rosemary King and Laura Szutowicz missed the first
day but travelled to get a ferry across and arrived in time for the
second day of the show. Bobby Holmes received a phone call at 11am
asking if she could step in at the last minute and was thankfully
able to accommodate the show, cancelling personal appointments to
catch the ferry across to Ireland that afternoon and arrived at the
showgrounds at 7.30pm ready for the first day of judging. Local
judges, Helen Morgan and Margaret Miller, also stepped in to assist,
thereby providing a full panel.
As result the
show was able to run and had a record breaking number of entries. The
highlight of the show is always the Supreme Championships in the gala
evening performances. The In-Hand Supreme Championship went to Connor
McCormick with his previous HOYS Cuddy qualifying pony, Brookvale
Lavender Lady. The Novice Supreme Championship was won by the Novice
M&M Working Hunter Champions, Jodie Creighton and Kenilwood
Monarch. This versatile little pony also went on to win the Mini Pony
Supreme Championship and then stood Reserve in the Pony Supreme
Championship to Lauren Finn on her Show Pony Champion, Brookwater
Lord of the Light. The Horse Supreme Championship was won by Richard
Iggulden riding Pat Falloon’s Hunter Champion, Balief Ricki.
John Gault was Reserve on Smart Alec with Lesley Webb, riding Audrey
Smyth’s Sock Et Set, taking the 1st Reserve Supreme sash.
The climax of
the show is always the Working Hunter Supreme Championship and the
presentation of the £1,000 prize cheque to the winner. This year
the top award went to a delighted Christopher Scott on his M&M
Working Hunter pony, Derrygimbla Atlantic Storm. The Reserve Supreme
sash was awarded to Jamie Smith’s Small Hunter Working Hunter
winner, Newferry Diamond Dancer. The 133cms Working Hunter winner,
Sacha Bloch and Golden Flight, were the 1st Reserve Supreme Champions.
Congratulations
to all the prize winners and very well done to all the judges who
really went out of their way not only to get over to Ireland, but
also to get back home again – the Show must go on!!!
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