Helena Fitzgerald’s Gentleman James won the Horse Sport Ireland sponsored Carl Geisler Memorial championship for the supreme ridden horse at the Riding Clubs Festival at Stradbally Hall Estate, Co. Laois last Saturday.

The 16-year-old Clover Dubh ISH gelding had earlier topped the line-up in the mediumweight division in order to qualify for the final.

The Ashbrook member faced strong opposition in the final as the champion and reserve champions of the lightweight, mediumweight, heavyweight, riding horse, small hunter, cobs, side saddle and mare championships went forward to the final decider.

The judges gave the nod to the bay gelding, bred by Patrick Cleary, ahead of reserve champion Johnstown Boy, a five-year-old skewbald gelding ridden by Ciaran Rossiter from Copperfield.

Meanwhile, the Eddie Fowler Memorial championship for the best of the breeds went to Cassandra Foley’s Eoghans Delight (IRE) for Killarney for the second successive year.

The ten-year-old bay gelding, bred by Ann Murphy, had earlier won the Ex Racehorse / thoroughbred showing class.

Reserve champion went to the Connemara champion, Rosscon Camile ridden by Thomasina O’Reilly from Mosstown.

Elsewhere The Frank Mangan Memorial championship was awarded to Bobby Dazzler II, a 4-year-old grey gelding, ridden by Devils Bit member Sandra Maher.