The Guardian carried a story on July
31, 2000 by John Kerr about the Irish victory in the King George V Gold Cup:
Cameron Hanley on Ballaseyr Twilight crowned a great week for Ireland by winning the
King George V Gold Cup. After Ireland's team victory in the Samsung Nations Cup, Hanley
won individual gold in the men's championship of the Traxdata Royal International Horse
Show yesterday.
Only five riders, all from different nations, survived a long initial course for the
show's oldest and now most valuable event. Geoff Billington and Virtual Village It's Otto
came close to being a sixth finalist but a last-fence fault ruled them out.
That left Rob Hoekstra and his American-bred Lionel II, last year's Hickstead Derby
winners, as Britain's sole hope. They were clear again but in a vulnerable time.
A well judged round by Hanley achieved the only other faultless round and it was
1.62sec faster to clinch the pounds 12,000 prize. Germany's Lutz Gripshover on Warren NRW
was fastest of all but rolled a pole at the first obstacle to take third.
It was a memorable first visit to Hickstead for Hanley, 27, who was based in
Switzerland until last year, when he joined his fellow Irish rider Peter Charles in
Hampshire. 'It's really an unbelievable experience,' he said.
It was a doubly successful day for the Ballaseyr stables in the Isle of Man. Another of
their horses, Leonardo, ridden by the Austrian Claudia Neureiter - like Hanley, making her
debut in the Hickstead arena - won the Hasseroeder Queen Elizabeth II Cup, the women's
championship.
Going last in a five-horse jump-off she overtook Britain's Olympic prospect Di Lampard
on Abbervail Dream by a split second for the fastest of three clears. But Lampard, now
fully recovered from her recent injury, did no harm at all to her chances of a place in
the team for Sydney.
On Saturday Pippa Funnell won the biggest prize of her career - a pounds 24,000 Lotus
sportscar - when, on The Tourmaline Rose, she outpaced Michael Whitaker and Evening
Masquerade to take the Horse and Hound eventing grand prix.
Whitaker said: 'I was riding an eventer lent by a friend, Chris Ward. It is difficult
for showjumpers: they are not trained for cross-country fences and get confused.'
Ireland's Billy Twomey, stable jockey to Whitaker, bounced back in style from
elimination in the Eventers Grand Prix to win the Traxdata Speed Grand Prix. Riding
Sublime, borrowed from a pupil who also rides in Whitaker's Nottinghamshire yard, he was
too strong for the opposition.
Irish Draft Horse Judge Training
Ireland – The Belfast News Letter carried a story
on July 29, 2000 about a training course for Irish Draught Horse judges:
Ten Irish Draught horse enthusiasts from Colorado, North Carolina, Virginia and
California in the United States and Ontario in Canada were welcomed to Athenry last week
by Mr Ger Shortle, Principal of Mellows Agricultural College.
"County Galway has a reputation for breeding quality Irish Draught horses and it
is a privilege for Teagasc to host this the first international judges training course for
the Irish Draught Horse Society," Mr Shortle said.
Ms Mary McGrath, honorary secretary of the IDHS thanked Teagasc and in particular
Norman Storey and John O'Beirne Equine Specialists for organising the training course.
The group spent one week evaluating and assessing the conformation of Irish Draught
horses, under the expert tutoring of Mr Billy Cotter, well known breeder and judge.
The course ended with a visit to the Irish Draught National Show in Necarne. Inspectors
of the society joined the group at the show and guided them through the judging of the
various classes.
The group visited a number of breeders in the area and saw many different examples of
quality horses.
The 1999 2000 Samsung Nations Cup series has two Irish bred and owned horses leading
the rider league. Gerry Flynn and Rincoola Abu by Cruising and Carrig Dubh by Slyguff
Joker are top of the pile. Slyguff Joker is by King of Diamonds out of an Imperiusmare and
is owned by Loftus O'Neill near Goresbridge and Rincoola Abu was bred by Harold McGahern
from Granard.
Top marks to Dermott Lennon and his mares Liscalgot by Touchdown owned by Terry Harvey
and Garronturton Lady by Cavalier owned by Woods Rosbotham who are lying 14th in the
Samsung Nations Cup league.
DERMOTT Lennon has settled into the swing of International competitions in the past two
years and the Great Leighs Horse Show in Exeter was a happy hunting ground last weekend.
Dermott and Dow Jones Courcel owned by James Acheson from Cookstown, a home bred
stallion by Quitto da bussy won the Pavilion premier two phase over Nick Skelton and
Showtime.
Peter Charles and Traxdata Mulligan collected pounds 6,000 when winning the Grand Prix
while Dermott was also in the money in the small Grand Prix with Garronturton Lady who
took home pounds 1,250 for third place.
