National contest: Waterford-born Michael Buckley achieved a rare feat on the opening day of the Dublin Horse Show yesterday when qualifying all three of his horses for the prestigious Dundrum four-year-old national championship.
Buckley scored an impressive 98.33 per cent to win the qualifier with his father Sean's Master Mexico, a gelding by Master Imp, and then followed it up with a score of 94.66 per cent from the Cavalier-sired gelding, Suir No Doubt, to tie for joint second with Damien McDermott and Creevagh Ferro, a stallion son of Ferro.
Buckley's third horse, Suir Forever, a daughter of Colin Diamond, also found favour with all three judges - Lieut Col Ronnie McMahon, Lieut Col Ned Campion and Taylor Vard - to be awarded a score of 89.33 per cent and share third spot with Gabriel Slattery and the Cruising entire, Rock Sensation.
Interestingly, all three of Buckley's charges were purchased at the 10-day Goresbridge Horse Sale in September of last year. Sean Buckley paid out €7,000 for the untried Master Mexico, and Suir No Doubt fetched €10,000 when purchased by Helen O'Gorman of O'Gorman's Equestrian Centre, her daughter, Anne Marie, securing Suir Forever for €8,000.
Buckley, who is employed as resident instructor at O'Gorman's Equestrian Centre in Cahir, Co Tipperary, was delighted with the result and will undoubtedly be aiming for similar high placings in the Lady Georgina Forbes sponsored final on Saturday afternoon.
In the preceding Grade A qualifier, Antrim rider Linda Courtney comfortably qualified for the championship when producing one of only two clear rounds in the eight-way jump-off with her own Greenane Diamond.
The 11-year-old mare by Cavalier, with which Courtney was well placed at the Royal International Horse Show at Hickstead in Britain a fortnight ago, gave a brilliant performance against the clock for a time of 41.90 seconds, a full two seconds quicker than runners-up Richie Moloney and Apollonaire.
Moloney also earned second place in the five-year-old qualifier with Andrew Doogue's Ardenteggle Flight, the class being won by Trevor Bartlett and the Puissance gelding, Revelation.