Supported by TopSpec, the prestigious Hunter Championships at the Royal Dublin Horse Show brought together the very best light, middle and heavyweight hunters to vie for the major honours over the show.
Winning the Supreme Championship was the culmination of a day of outstanding results for showman, PJ Casey.
PJ captured the Middleweight Hunter five-year -ld class on Kingston Pique and Heavyweight four-year-old class riding Greenhall Will i Am before going on to ride Somerville the lovely four-year-old lightweight, bay gelding to take the overall honours. Somerville gave the judges a great ride, defying his years and looked like he could gallop all day.
The Reserve Champion Ridden Hunter went to First Rate, ridden by Louise Lyons and owned by Paulette Cooper. Proving his versatility First Rate won the Working Hunter Championship as well.
Held in the main arena, the Hunter classes were first introduced in 1868 and have a very long history and tradition with the event, demonstrating the best examples of the famed Irish Hunter.
Said Katy Mickle of TopSpec: “We were delighted to once again sponsor the hunter classes at Dublin Horse Show for a fifth year running.
“The show at Dublin is very special and the atmosphere was fantastic.
“It is great that so many horses and ponies enjoying outstanding results at Dublin are fed on TopSpec including both the Supreme and Reserve Champion Ridden Hunter.”
Before taking the Supreme honours, Somerville took first place in the four-year-old Lightweight Hunter going on to win the four-year-old championship and received much praise from PJ.
“Taking the Supreme Hunter Championship at Dublin with Somerville was an incredible moment. For a four-year-old he just keeps getting better and better, he’s going to have a very successful career,” he said.
First Rate had originally headed the five to eight-year-old Lightweight Hunter section on his way to taking the Reserve Championship and the liver chestnut gelding has also been on great form on UK soil this season with Louise, also well known in the world of eventing.
Louise also took the Middleweight Hunter Championship on Dartans Blockbuster to round off a successful show.