Show events: Michael and June Lewis were in celebratory mood yesterday after Kelly Troughton rode their horse Lorenzo to claim the Bewley's Hotels supreme hunter championship ahead of Rose Boyd's Connswater.
The result was a reversal of the Balmoral decision back in May when the heavyweight Connswater had taken the tricolour at the expense of Lorenzo.
"We were thrilled to bits with our champion," judge Jane Webber said after the two cups for the supreme champion and best four-year-old had been presented to Lorenzo's connections.
"He was really true to type and a proper lightweight," fellow judge Charles Le Moignan added. Joining in the celebrations was Co Tipperary vet and breeder Tom Meagher, who stands the Belgian-bred stallion Ricardo Z which sired both Lorenzo and the reserve champion lightweight, June Burgess's What's What.
Wicklow's Jane Bradbury made the only dent in an otherwise northern-dominated championship when she took the mediumweight title with Daphne Tierney's Sea Crest progeny, Bloomfield Rebekah.
The grey had earlier taken the mare cup, when Bradbury had opted to ride her own and her mother Carol's Pink Mist, which was pulled in reserve behind Bloomfield Rebekah with Rosemary Connors in the plate.
Bradbury looked set to make amends for that disappointment when she brought Pink Mist out for the lightweight cup, but the thoroughbred mare, which is in foal to Old Vic, was overlooked in the final decision. But Bradbury's hopes in the supreme were set to be dashed too, as Bloomfield Rebekah was passed over by the judges in favour of the light and heavyweight winners.
There was never really any doubt that Lorenzo would sweep all before him, however.
Already sold to English buyers Geoff and Gill Gale, Lorenzo had that "look of eagles" about him that sets a champion apart and, having made short work of the lightweight cup, his eye-catching paces - both in hand and under saddle - meant the supreme title was his for the taking.
Lorenzo's rider and owners felt that the gelding should be allowed to rest on his laurels and didn't start him in the afternoon's ladies' hunter class, with championship honours in this going to Cariad McAlpine's six-year-old son of Zero Watt, Danakill Taylor.