2008 was the fifth year of the very successful Blue Chip and IDHS(GB) £2,000 Challenge, which is most generously sponsored by Clare Blaskey, founder and Managing Director of Blue Chip Feeds Ltd, in conjunction with the IDHS (GB).

Having qualified at shows throughout the country, fifty horses, including many well-known show hunters, came forward for the Final, which was held at the Society’s Annual Breed Show on 14 September 2008 at the Lincolnshire Showground and was judged by Sarah Smith and David Ingle (Ride) and Duco Van Joolan (Conformation).  As always, this prestigious event was the highlight of the Show and spectators stood three deep around the ringside to support their favourites and watch with interest as the Judges worked their way through the four preliminary sections before selecting their final line up of seventeen horses.  Then all seventeen showed off their paces for a second time, including some spectacular gallops to the delight of the spectators.

The prizes go down to seventh place and traditionally the placings are announced in reverse order to keep the suspense mounting until the very last moment.  The crowd was on tenterhooks as the Judges came to their final decision.  In 7^th place was Lord of the Manor (best 15.2 hh & under), 6^th was Charisma, 5^th Cabra West, 4^th Lawdale Maverick and 3^rd Castlerock (highest placed pure bred).  Excitement continued to rise as the hushed crowd waited for the final two placings to be announced and there were cheers as Kirk and Debbie Godber’s handsome six-year-old quarter-bred Irish Draught chestnut gelding, ROCKEFELLER (SHR), by Ricardo Z (Hann) out of Licnaun Olive by Diamond Prince (RID), was called in as Reserve Champion.  Then came the moment that everyone had been waiting for and the crowd went wild as Louise Bell’s magnificent eight-year-old grey gelding ROCK STAR (SHR), by Grey Macha (RID) out of Dangan Ruby by Regular Guy (TB) was crowned 2008 Blue Chip Champion.  He looked a ‘million dollars’ and this was a most popular win for a very successful partnership, which fulfilled one of Louise Bell’s greatest ambitions.

It was a truly uplifting experience to witness so many top class hunters, cobs and Irish Draught horses all in one ring together on the special occasion of the Irish Draught Annual Breed Show.  All the horses were beautifully turned out and their owners and riders had every reason to be justifiably proud to have qualified for the Final in the first place against such strong competition.  There was a huge round of applause for all the prizewinners on their superb achievements, but there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that the Champion stood out from the rest and ‘stole the show’ with his commanding performance and powerful presence.

Pure bred Irish Draught horses took the top prizes in the 2006 and 2007 Finals, but the 2008 Blue Chip Championship belonged to the Irish Draught Sport Horse with two outstanding examples of the breed in first and second place.

Sarah Smith sums up her day from a Judge’s point of view: “With such terrible weather all summer the showground had perfect going and I would just like to say how amazed I was at the tremendous standard of the Blue Chip finalists.  The Irish Draughts are certainly bringing back the old fashioned type, with bone and substance and it was nice to see quite a lot of horses had qualified for Horse of the Year Show.  The Champion gave me one of the best rides that I have had all season - he is a lovely stamp, who is beautifully schooled with push button control and goes from 0 to 100 as if he was turbo charged.  He was a worthy winner of this fantastic Irish Draught Blue Chip Championship”.

The IDHS (GB) is immensely grateful to Clare Blaskey, founder of Blue Chip Feeds Ltd, for her most generous support and enormous enthusiasm for the Irish Draught horse.  The Society feels very privileged to be in partnership with Blue Chip Feeds Ltd for the successful promotion of the Irish Draught breed through sponsorship of this high profile competition.

Clare comments: “We would like to continue sponsoring this very worthwhile competition, as we’ve been very impressed each year at how the number of entries has increased and that the competition is popular with amateurs and professionals alike, with the amateurs often beating the professionals in the final.  “Having got an Irish Sport horse myself, I think they are absolutely wonderful, with lovely trainable temperaments and very versatile, athletic conformation.  My own horse, Blue Chip That’s Grand, had a great season last year in Large Riding Horse classes and he’s won a couple of dressage competitions during the winter.”

Disappointingly for both the organisers and the winners, Clare Blaskey was unable to present the prizes in person this year due to a special family occasion, but the Society was very grateful to Emma Thompson from Blue Chip Feeds Ltd, who most ably represented her on the day and took great pleasure in handing out the cheque for £1,000 plus a Blue Chip rug and trophy to the Champion, £500 to the Reserve Champion and £100 each down to seventh place.

Emma says: “The final of the Blue Chip & IDHS £2000 Challenge was very enjoyable. It was wonderful to see the very best of the Irish Draught breed in the line up and I felt privileged to present their prizes.

There were two further awards, both much coveted - first, the ‘Blue Henry Cup’ and £100 kindly donated by Francis and Wendy Keeling for the highest placed pure bred, which went to the very deserving CASTLEROCK (RID), up one place from last year, who had already taken the Show’s Reserve Ridden Championship earlier in the day after winning the Ridden Irish Draught 7 years and over class and, second, the ‘Blue Chip Kinkaid Plate’ and £50 kindly donated personally by Clare Blaskey for the best 15.2 hh & under, which went to the lovely lightweight pure bred cob, LORD OF THE MANOR (RID), who gave a wonderful account of himself at his very first attempt in the Blue Chip as a 5-year-old.

In addition to the above, all the finalists also received generous prizes in kind donated by Blue Chip Feeds Ltd, which altogether added up to one of showing’s richest prize packages. 

The owners of the Champion, Reserve and the other trophy winners have written a few words about their successes below, but a special mention should also go to 4^th placed LAWDALE MAVERICK (SHR), a 5-year-old, who moved up three places from last year having won the Ridden Irish Draught Sport Horse 4-6 year old class earlier in the day, 5^th placed CABRA WEST (AID), a consistent winner of pure bred classes, who was Reserve Champion in the Blue Chip last year and 6^th placed CHARISMA (SHR), a most attractive grey, who was the only mare to be placed in the final seven.

Full details of the prize winners are as follows:

Champion:  Mrs L Bell ROCK STAR (SHR) grey gelding b. 2000 s. Grey Macha (RID) d. Dangan Ruby ds. Regular Guy (TB) br. Owner r. Owner

Reserve:  Mr K & Mrs D Godber ROCKEFELLER (SHR) chestnut gelding b. 2002 s. Ricardo Z (Hann) d. Licnaun Olive (SHR) ds. Diamond Prince (RID) br. Mr C O’Grady r. Craig Kiddier

3.      & Highest Placed Purebred Mrs S M Hill CASTLEROCK (RID) chestnut gelding b. 2001 s. Crosstown Dancer (RID) d. Follyglen Sally (RID) ds. Home Rule (RID) br. Mr S McLaughlin r. Victoria Hannington

4.      Mrs J Leighton LAWDALE MAVERICK (SHR) grey gelding b. 2003 s. Merit (TB) d. Moymore Tara (RID) ds. Corrandulla Star (RID) br. Mrs C R Laws r. Jane Collins

5.      Mrs S J Roche CABRA WEST (AID) chestnut gelding b.1999 s. Skippy Too (RID) d. Warren House Princess (AID) ds. Enniskeane Prince (RID) br. Owner r. Owner

6.      Miss J K Smith CHARISMA (SHR) grey mare b. 1996 s. Cyrus Z d. Crystaleene ds. Skippy (RID) br. Mrs J A Grimes r. Owner

7.      & Highest Placed 15.2hh and Under Mrs H Hyde-Andrews LORD OF THE MANOR (RID) grey gelding b.2003 s. Welcome Flagmount (RID) d. Maxwell’s Beauty (RID) ds. Grosvenor Lad (RID) br. Mr C Maxwell r. Matthew Ainsworth

 
“Rock Star” Blue Chip Champion
 

Louise Bell writes about her success in the Final:

Winning the Blue Chip and IDHS (GB) £2,000 Challenge at the 2008 Irish Draught Annual Breed Show was just the most wonderful feeling.  To have bred, owned, produced and ridden a horse of this calibre is beyond anyone’s wildest dreams and I feel very blessed to have done so.  The nicest thing for me was to be at a show where all the spectators were willing me and “Rock Star” (or Little Rock as he is known at home) to win and even some of the competitors too, so I would just like to say thank you to all involved.  It was a very special day for us both.

(Editor’s note:  Rock Star has a very impressive list of winnings to date.  In addition to being 2005 HOYS HW Hunter of the Year and Reserve Champion, he has won around 45 Heavyweight Hunter Classes, 15 Working Hunter Classes, 14 Supreme Hunter titles (including the New Vision Show in 2008 where he won over £2,000 in total)- and he also hunts with the Warwickshire in his spare time!)

“Rockefeller” Reserve Champion

Debbie Godber writes about Reserve Champion, Rockefeller:

This year we attended the Irish Draught Annual Breed Show for the first time with two of our horses, Rockefeller and Holy Burns, having qualified them for the Blue Chip Final by winning both of the Irish Draught Sport Horse classes (large and small) at the Moorgreen Show.  We had a super time picking up several placings before winning the Open Ridden Small class with Holy Burns and then Rockefeller was Reserve Champion in the Blue Chip Final, where we collected a very nice cheque for £500.  The ring at Lincoln always enables you to show a Hunter with a good gallop and Rockefeller certainly did that!

My husband, Kirk and I own the Park Hill Stud in Derby and we bought Rockefeller (a 6-year-old gelding by Ricardo Z out of a Diamond Prince mare) in Ireland as a weanling.  He was broken and produced at home and is ridden by Craig Kiddier, our head lad, who works for us full time and is also trained by us.  Rockefeller has won 6 Championships this year in HW Hunter and Irish Draught classes and he was also placed at HOYS in the HW Hunter of the Year class in his first Novice season.

Now we know that the Annual Breed Show exists, we will work towards qualifying again for 2009 and we are looking forward to the new venue.  We have a 4-year-old middleweight part bred to bring and the more seasoned Rockefeller and Holy Burns.”

“Castlerock” 3^rd and highest placed Pure Bred

Castlerock (RID) wins the Pure Bred Trophy

In third place overall and winner of the Blue Henry Trophy for the best Pure Bred, was Susan Hill's Castlerock (RID).  This 7-year-old by Crosstown Dancer (RID) out of Folly Glen Sally (RID) by Home Rule (RID) was bought by the Hill family in Ireland as an unbroken 3-year-old and has matured into a quality horse with manners and a step to match and has been a consistent winner in Irish Draught classes over the past two seasons.

Ridden in the Final by Susan's daughter, Victoria Hannington, he galloped impressively at the end of a long day (ignoring loose horses!).  Victoria summarises the day – ‘This was such an enjoyable show and wonderful to take third place in the Blue Chip but, above all, to stand top Pure Bred Irish Draught in such strong company at the Annual Breed Show was a great thrill for all the family, especially mother, who has done all the breaking and schooling and prepares the horses herself at home’.

“Lord of the Manor” 7^th and best 15.2 hh & Under

Hayley Hyde-Andrews writes about her cob, Lord of the Manor:

Making the long trip with Lord of the Manor from Gloucester to the Irish Draught Annual Breed Show at Lincoln was rewarded with a well laid out venue and dry weather!  I bought Lord of the Manor in December 2006 as a rough and hairy unbroken gelding with 9½" of bone, a long length of rein and a light ground-covering step.  The plan was to show him in both cob classes and also in ridden pure bred Irish Draught classes.  He has a wonderful temperament and was easily backed by his producers, Matt Ainsworth and Nicola Gillett. He made his debut at a county show some 6 weeks later and won the Lightweight Cob class.

However, I was dismayed when we started competing in Ridden Irish Draught classes to find that there were horses standing some two hands larger than my horse, so we now look out for the special classes for Small Irish Draughts under 15.2 hh.  At the Breed Show we were pleased to be placed 2^nd in the Open Ridden Small class but, as we were looking forward to the Blue Chip Challenge, we decided not to tire our young horse by competing in the Open Ridden Cob class as well.

Although by far the smallest horse competing in the Blue Chip Final, we were thrilled that he went so nicely and that he came a very creditable 7^th and also won the Blue Chip Kinkaid Trophy and prize for the highest placed 15.2 hh and Under.

We will be campaigning in HOYS Cob classes in 2009 and will also be looking out for the Irish Draught Under 15.2 hh and Cob classes, although we will not compete in the Open Irish Draught Ridden classes as the judges seem to prefer the 17 hh plus exhibits.  We will certainly be looking to qualify for the Blue Chip Challenge again and hopefully to improve on our 2008 placing.

THE BLUE CHIP AND IDHS(GB) £2,000 CHALLENGE 2009

Blue Chip Feeds Ltd and the Irish Draught Horse Society (GB) are proud to announce that the Challenge will continue in 2009 under the same rules as in previous years.

To enter the Blue Chip and IDHS (GB) Challenge, horses must be pure or part-bred Irish Draught and registered or eligible for registration on the Irish Draught or Irish Draught Sport Horse Registers.  To be eligible, horses must have proven evidence of a minimum of 25% Irish Draught breeding and all qualifiers must be registered with the IDHS (GB) by the time of the Championship, which will be held at the Society’s Annual Breed Show at Weston Lawns, Bulkington, Warwickshire on the weekend of 19/20 September 2009.

Qualifiers are taken from the highest placed horses competing in Lightweight, Middleweight or Heavyweight Ridden Hunter, Working Hunter and Small Hunter Classes at affiliated SHB (GB) Shows, in Ridden Irish Draught or Irish Draught Sport Horse Classes at affiliated IDHS (GB) Shows and in Ridden and Working Cob, Maxi Cob and Riding Horse Classes at affiliated BSHA Shows.

Entering its sixth year, the Blue Chip and IDHS (GB) Challenge is now well established and an important event in the showing calendar.  There are Qualifiers at shows, both large and small, all over the country and the Society is looking forward to a record number of entries for the 2009 Final at its new venue.

A full list of Shows holding Qualifiers in 2009 can be found on the Shows page or please contact Miss Leigh Edgeler, Mareve, Woodstock Road, Stonesfield, Witney, Oxon OX29 8EJ Tel: 01993 898109 and 07854 518419