Longford at RDS horse show

Longford was well represented at the annual Dublin Horse Show recently held in the RDS.

From a Longford perspective, the show belonged to the Whyte family from Legan with Edel, riding her father Gerry’s horse, Sleehaun Master Mind, in the 4/5 yr old Performance Irish Draught class.
Later she rode another of their home bred horses, Sleehaun Silver Crest, in the six yr old or over Irish Draught performance class.

It was an incredible performance to have four homebred horses feature at the blue ribbon event for the Irish sportshorse sector and the Whytes family were also to the fore in the three year old potential event horse class with Sheehaun Angel.

Completing the Legan family’s show of force at the RDS this year was their Dollar Man in the four year old event horse class
Not to be outdone, Gerry’s Westmeath based brother, Pat Whyte, also featured in the Lightweight Hunters class with his Kilbunny Kabana.

Frequent RDS exhibitors, Carla Esler and Finnian McLoughlin, were back with another of their promising young horses in the three year olds’ class, Mo Bhuachaill Ban.

Mother and daughter team, Fionola and Shauna Heslin, are very successful competitors in showing classes and impressed many with their Rathvaldron Golden Jack in the Ridden Connemara class. But the big success for us in the Connemara’s was Kinard, Legan’s Ciara Dennigan who was on board as Lucinda Kelly’s Dunran Love in the Mist, took 5th place in the Connemara Performance Hunter class.

Many were impressed with young Longford town showjumper, Derek Shaw, who jumped Knockahaw Chilli Sam in the Young Riders class. It was a real family story this as the horse is owned by his dad, Michael, and bred by his uncle, Robbie.