Co Meath veterinarian Katy Murphy was celebrating last night after her mare Belwin Babe claimed the RKD Architects five-year-old young event horse honours with Sarah Ennis in the saddle.
Belwin Babe, a daughter of Kings Master out of a Leabeg mare, was lying second after Wednesday's presentation phase in ring two, but relished the open spaces of the main arena and put in a polished performance over Tommy Brennan's brilliantly conceived cross-country course to clinch the title.
Judge Lars Christensson, who has taken over as trainer and sole selector of the Irish three-day event team, had put Jinnie Webb's Ballyboe Integrity into the lead after the first phase, but the son of Ricardo Z hit a fence in the main arena yesterday to drop to third with Fraser Duffy, while Paula Stammschroer's Kilpatrick Squire moved up from fourth to take second for jockey George Russell.
The four-year-olds had a slightly less taxing track to tackle when they opened the action in the main arena under the Interactive Project Managers banner.
Jean Morton's Luca, a gelding by Accondy out of a Touchdown mare, had held the advantage overnight but slid to fourth, leaving the way open for John Keane's All The Aces to take the honours for rider Clare Lambert. The winner is a bay son of the Irish Draught sire Crosstown Dancer out of a Balboa dam.
Other big winners were Linda Cullen and Rosemary Breen's eight-year-old Cottage Sea Spray, which took the ridden Connemara pony championship, and Mark English's 12-year-old My Irish Charm, which claimed the Coote Cup as champion hunter broodmare.