Wendy Trevithick, who claimed the RDS supreme hunter championship in all but name 12 months ago, took the first step towards the double yesterday afternoon when The General scored an easy victory in his class to book a place in the main arena for today's championship judging.
The Co Carlow show producer had bought the grey last year after he won his class, but it was vendor Austin Quigley whose name appears on the RDS 1997 records as the owner of the Golden River gelding, which went on to take the four-year-old, medium-weight and supreme titles.
The General is now aged five, but Wendy Trevithick's decision to move the horse up to the heavyweight division for Balmoral in May proved to be a mistake when he was defeated in his class. He returned to the medium-weights yesterday, and it was no surprise to see him topping the RDS line-up, with Wendy Trevithick able to claim full credit for his victory this time as both owner and rider.
But The General will have his work cut out today when Frances Cash's aptly named four-year-old Formidable bids for both the heavyweight cup and the supreme. The massive chestnut, which doubled up to take the four-year-old and supreme titles at both Balmoral and Cork, is hotly tipped to make it a hat-trick in Ballsbridge this morning.
Pat Kinsella's Primrose Hill, which was reserve champion filly at Dublin last year, made her debut under saddle yesterday. Although she failed to feature in her hunter class, the four-year-old daughter of Coevers Diamond Boy took the Coote Cup as champion broodmare. She has been covered by Regal Sting, the stallion which was also responsible for yesterday's two-year-old champion, Denis Collins's April Sting.