Show classes:Stars of the future claimed the main arena as their stage yesterday with final honours in the two young event horse classes decided over a Tommy Brennan-designed track that put the four- and five-year-olds to the test.
Co Antrim's Stuart Crawford had claimed the overnight advantage with Amacuzzi in the four-year-olds and a fabulous clear with the son of the Hannovarian sire Marcuzzi clinched the win yesterday. Angela McCann and Seapatrick Orchard County, who had been just 0.7 adrift on Wednesday, held on for second.
The flashy chestnut Westwinds El Dorado was a real eye-catcher in the five-year-olds and, as he landed over the last in full gallop, his Wexford jockey Louise Codd punched the air with delight. She had spotted the perfect 60 up on the scoreboard and knew that was enough to win, although the next horse, Patrickswell Beijing (Katie O'Sullivan) also earned full marks to move within two points of the winner.
The North dominated the hunter championships, winning the heavyweight and lightweight deciders to earn places in tomorrow's supreme championship.
Four-year-old winner Connswater Silvergranite took the heavyweight championship for Co Armagh from the year older Antrim representative Tully's Law, while another four-year-old, Double Take from Co Down, took the lightweight honours from fellow Co Down horse, Lorenzo.
The two-year-old championship also went north. Tattygare Watch This Space won for the Co Fermanagh Hurst Show Horses. Shirley Hurst showed the champion, while the reserve, Ballycarrickmaddy, was led by husband Adrian. Mayo and Waterford won the three-year-olds, Tiernan Gill's Dallas ahead of Rosemary Connors's Woodfield Indo.