Again, let's start with the weather report - Saturday saw the most perfect day with the sun shining and not a cloud in the sky and the forecast was the same for Sunday - but Ireland's quirky sense of humour extends to it's weather, which decided to threaten for most of the day with showers which thankfully never emerged at Ballivor and as the Grand Prix presentation began the sun broke through for the most perfect of evenings!

The Ballivor Horse Show, held in County Meath on the lovely property of Mr. James Dargan and the place looked a treat with horses, trailers, lorries and cars packed to the maximum - by 2pm, the listed start time for the Grand Prix there was not a square inch of ground left to park even a bicycle on!

The town of Ballivor came out to enjoy having some of the best showjumpers in the country in their town and the carnival atmosphere was fabulous.

Pink was the order of the day for this group of young ladies - pictured left - today as they sat and watched the Grand Prix hoping for the sun to make an appearance.

For the first time in quite a while the entire list of starters did start and it was great to see 36 combinations lining up to jump Tom Holden's track today.

The ground was slippery and required serious studding of the horses and Tom took this into account when he built his track today - the opening fence was a wide grey rising oxer, with a right bend to a tall vertical which took a left bend to the big square oxer at fence 3, and then 5 strides to a double combination of vertical, one stride to oxer which sat along the fenceline where all the lorries were parked. From the double there was a left turn to a liverpool which was hard up against the fenceline where the crowds were 4 deep giving the horses more than just the liverpool to look at. From fence 5 there was a left turn across to the middle

of the arena and the IJM Timber Frame fence which today was a tall vertical, 5 strides to a very tall and square oxer which was fence 7. A right turn off fence 7 took you to the Belfast International vertical and from there 4 strides took you to another very square red oxer and a bit of a gallop to the stand alone plank vertical at fence 10, which lead you to the home stretch of a triple bar, vertical, vertical combination and 6 strides on a curved line to the final oxer which was tall, wide and heading towards the pocket - a course which would prove to be a good track encouraging horses to give their best.

The commentator announced the start of play with Linda Russell, from Canada and her own Anyway 33 - pictured below left fence one - but today was not to be their day when fence 2 fell followed by fence 6 and Linda decided to jump fences 7 and 8 and then tip her hat to the judge and retire.

Richie Moloney and Tom Moloney's Appolinaire - pictured above right over fence 3b - would have been considered one of the unluckiest in today's class - he was motoring around the course making it look easy and as he came through the treble all was well until the dreaded Last Fence Syndrome hit them and down tumbled fence 12 leaving them with four faults.

Conor Swail and Samuel McQuade's Drumagoland Flight were next out and this was the first of Conor's three rides in this class but today this horse just lowered fence 8 to leave the arena with four faults.

Eddie Moloney and his own Cantos B had the start all riders dread when the first fence tumbled and the horse appeared unsettled through fence two and when fence three fell Eddie tipped his hat to the judge and retired.

Captain David O'Brien and the Minister for Defence's Kilteely - pictured below left over fence 9 - were the next to take on the course and things were looking really good for a clear until the horse just tapped out 11A on the home run to leave them with 4 faults.

Cian O'Connor, still restricted to competition at home, showed off his newest purchase today when he took to the course with the first of his three rides in the class. The story around the fields is that he found Bronson - pictured above right - through Paul Schokemohle while in Copenhagen watching the jumping a couple of weeks ago - and they clocked up the first clear round of the class today.

Shane Breen and Sandra Duffy's World Cruise, - pictured below left - just back from International duty won the Grand Prix in Ballinamona the day before and today they looked super but didn't make it through to the jump off when fence 6 fell softly.

Deidre Bourns' Accordiano with son Andrew in the saddle were next to go and even though they had two down the horse was jumping superbly and perhaps just feeling his way a little with this step up to the Super League level - but the horse and rider have talent and no doubt they will soon be in Super League jump offs.

Delyth Collins and Ronnie Hollinger's Creevagh Duca Diamond jumped a super round and it was only on the home run that the horse got perhaps a little strong and after lowering 11B and C combined with a run out at fence 12 they were not going to be in the jump off today.

Conor Swail returned with his second ride for this class, Poncho - pictured below over fence 4B - from the O'Connor & Swail Stables and today they jumped a super round with a bit of luck on their side when fence 6 made a noise but stayed in place and they came through the finish flags with time right and everything in place to go through to the jump off.