Dessie Gibson's winning ways continued in the Ballsbridge show ring yesterday when horses produced at his Dromara, Co Down, yard took the Supreme Youngstock Championship and Reserve.
John Donaghy's Kyleown, which had been shown by Sam McCormick to take the three-year-old title 24 hours earlier, swept away opposition to take the Laidlaw Cup as overall champion, with Gibson showing his own two-year-old champion, Walnut Dash, to stand reserve.
Kyleown, which already has the all-Ireland yearling, two- and three-year-old titles to his credit, was bred by Patrick Normoyle near Ennis, Co Clare.
Walnut Dash was bred by Harron Eakin Farms in Crossgar, Co Down, and was sold to Gibson immediately after winning the Supreme Young Horse Championship at Balmoral in May. His owner, who broke his leg badly out hunting with the Co Down Staghounds last season, said that he will be cutting down on numbers after this season, but his supporters are taking that with a large pinch of salt.
Co Down remained at the forefront of affairs in the filly championship as well, with Ann Lyons's Flowing River, which has won this title for the past two years running, keeping the formbook right by scoring again yesterday. The three-year-old daughter of Weavers Web was bred in Wicklow by Derry Rothwell, who was presented with an RDS millennium award yesterday.