Co Down rider Dessie Gibson pulled off the second leg of an extraordinary treble yesterday and looks set to go all the way when the young horse championship is decided at the RDS on Saturday morning.
Gibson's Puissance gelding High Point, which took the all-Ireland two-year-old championship at Tinahely in Co Wicklow on Monday, held off all challengers for the Dublin two-year-old title yesterday. With David Alcorn in charge, High Point lifted the championship ribbon from the Co Kerry entry, the Colin Diamond filly Callinafercy Mavra.
The yearling title also went north, with Tattygare Watch This Space, a gelding by Porsch, claiming the honours for the Hurst Show Horses team from Co Fermanagh. Co Wicklow producer Patience Bennett took the reserve ribbon. The three-year-olds have their chance tomorrow but, in one of many changes to the schedule, the supreme young horse championship will not be decided until Saturday.
The hunters previously filled the show rings throughout the opening day of the show in preparation for their Thursday morning visit to the main arena for the judging of the supreme.
This year's programme has the lightweights under the judges' eyes today and the middle and heavyweights in the ring tomorrow in the build-up to a Sunday championship.
"We have rescheduled some of the championships and cups to create a stronger momentum to the show," RDS chief executive Michael Duffy said yesterday.