MORRIS Equestrian Centre just outside Kilmarnock hosted a Hogmanay special show offering a packed schedule full of normal and novelty classes plus some evening entertainment.

Rafael Suarez and Neil Foster oversaw the courses which were different and interesting offering some good level distances for the novice horses whilst challenging the more experienced.

Some of the days were very quiet with only a few forward, yet others were heaving with entries pushing the jumping well into the evenings.

One of the youngest riders of the show laid claim to the biggest class.

Sandy McLean has had a super season with his team of mostly 148cms ponies finishing with a HOYS appearance, but it was with his sister Claire’s Warhol Wulfselection he found himself winning from the front in a four way jump off.

Keeping tight and going forward their time of 39.28 looked fast enough and proved to be half a second too quick for those following.

Kelly Connor-Baillie was happy with her double clear on her scopey little mare, Bailande Van De Kapel, but the clock showed them to be slightly in arrears in 40.05.

Lara Whiteway was in the money throughout the show with Prince Z her ride in this class. Again another double clear was recorded but this time 42.04.

Richard Duncan and Declan Irvine are getting a tune out of Denise Gilmour’s Fendiela. Having only jumped up to Foxhunter level before this seven-year-old mare is tackling the bigger fences with gusto having already been in the money in some 1.30m classes with Declan. It was no surprise their time was slower but they achieved a double clear at their first attempt at this height.

A winner at Scope and a serious challenger in young rider classes Sandy, who helps at his mother’s Lasswade Riding school outside Edinburgh was also the fastest home out of six through to the jump off in the 1.20m Grand Prix on the final day.

Greg Taylor had opened with a good, quick round on Elanka then sat and watched as the next in collected a few faults.

Sandy was third to go, but managed to shave more than two seconds from Greg’s time to take over the lead before the boys had to wait until the last challenger, Lara Whiteway this time on Bellagio, before the results were finalised.

Lara’s time was almost exactly two seconds adrift of Sandy’s but a fraction quicker stopping the boys scoring a one/two.

Another young man on form was James Smith who accounted for three classes over the first few days before he headed off to take part in the Liverpool International show.

His ever-reliable little grey mare Cumina had time out over the last couple of years to have some embryos removed resulting in some nice foals on the ground to look forward to.

In between this she remains as competitive as ever when, last to go of two forward in a two phase 1.30m Open, she finished a second clear of Carlisle’s Jonathan Dixon on Continio in a class that produced just six double clears.

A couple of fences on the floor in this class with Jim Wilmer’s Quattro 27 was just a warm up for their next two classes which they proceeded to win.

Starting midway in a table C they left everything standing to settle a couple of seconds clear of the ever-speedy Lucy Guild on Hugana VanT Heike and Graham Babes, recently returned from Olympia with Boucheron.

James then went on to win a very competitive Ride and Drive class which saw him set off at speed on Quattro 27 then fly round in the little red car skidding across the surface between the jumps to thrash the rest of the class.

Graham Babes accounted for one of the big money classes when he steered Boucheron round in a very quick 1.30m Grand Prix in which the top three shared the same half a second.

Graham threw the gauntlet down in 32.44 from first draw; Kelly Connor Baillie steered Bailande Van De Kapel home in 32.55 and Aileen Craig settled for third with Angela McKillop’s Drumconnick Verdi in 32.67.

Cameron Rogan has now set up on his own and is busy with some horses of his own to produce as well as riding for others.

He picked up a fifth in the 1.30m Grand Prix on his own Love Handel, but it was a string of novice horses that saw him take home the most red rosettes.

Graham Dignal’s MEC Could Be Cassini was the fastest of eight forward for the 1m Grand Prix jump off, his aunt, Gail Rogan’s Latino Lucy headed a British Novice and gained some placings, Lorna Rice’s Wouwske headed a 1.20m while another few novice horses picked up minor placings throughout.

Travelling from their home at Eastriggs near Annan, husband and wife team of Karen and Willie Dunlop were in the money on their home-bred horses, Diamond Flash and Diamond Ace which headed a Discovery each but featured in a few of the novice classes.

Fourteen made it through to the jump off in the 1.10m Grand Prix with just five remaining clear all the way.

Mischa Irving had a busy show with seven horses, mostly youngsters at this her last show before jetting off on holiday.

One of her more experienced rides, Casaretta, was the first in and the only one to score a double clear for the next eight horses.

Her own Elektra slotted into what was then second place at that time but only very briefly when the winner came from the very next draw.

Hattrick Magic, an 11-year-old Grade B ridden by Aileen Craig snatched three tenths of a second from Mischa’s leading time to take the win.

LEADING awards

Morris Hogmanay Show 2017. British Novice-1, Latino Lucy. C Rogan; 2, Diamond Flash, K Dunlop; 3, Diamond Ace, W Dunlop. Discovery-1, Diamond Ace & Darino, C Crawford; 3, Diamond Flash. 1m Open-1, Vindicator,J Maher; 2, Larino 87,; 3, Killiney, C Geddes. Newcomers-1, Novita Jovial Z, L Whiteway. 2, Flintocco Blue,J Fearnley; 3, Arsouilles Mickey Finn, M Warnock.Foxunter-1, Fendiela, D Irvine; 2, Formula 1; 3, Indigo Van De Roshoeve, N Robertson. 1.20m Open-1, Wouwske, C Rogan; 2, Van De Bay Girl, C Geddes; 3, Centa Bella, J Dixon. 1.30m Open-1, Cumina, J Smith; 2, Continio III, J Dixon; 3, Harperland Micky Finn, I Warnock. 1.30m Open-1, Quattro 27, J Smith; 2, Hugana VanT Heike, L Guild; 3, Boucheron, G Babes. Mini 6 Bar-1 3 shared. British Novice-1, Atlantic Allstar, A Deighton 2, Vendetta II; 3, India. 90cms Open-1, Uschi, L Rennie; 2, Copper V, A Blackwood; 3, Enjoy II, E Ryder. 1m Open-1, Dali V, S Laird; 2, Start Up Esteban, A Gray; 3, Gunar S, T Smith. Discovery-1, Diamond Flash; 2, Camilo De Nyze Z, D Irvine; 3, Drop Anchor, A Quinn. Newcomers-1, Novita Jovial; 2, Falco V, A Barr; 3, De La Rue. 1.10m Open-1, Vurelise, C Templeton; 2, Killiney; 3, Beseeka Red Hot Chilli Pepper, N Orr. 1.20m Open-1, Hugana VanT Heike; 2, Bellagio, L Whiteway; 3, Love Handel, C Rogan. Mini 6 Bar-1 3 shared. Open-1, Bellagio; 2, Daimler, G Taylor; 3, Cancun, L Stewart. British Novice-1, Billy Roche, L McCourt; 2, Latino Lucy; 3, Atout De Hamel, I Love. 1.35m Open-1, Warhol Wulfselection Z, S McLean; 2, Bailande Van De Kapel, K Connor; 3, Prince Z, L Whiteway. Small Open-1, Voltaires Diamond, M Pratt; 2, Atlantic Allstar; 3, Clarity S, M Brown. Newcomers/1.10m-1, Cordoba, T Nicholson; 2, Cruella De Revel, C Rogan; 3, Lissyegan Mikey Lou, S Henderson. 1m Grand Prix-1, MEC Could Be Cassini, C Rogan ; 2, Chiquella, N Brogan; 3, My Hallo Jessie, N Devlin. 1.10m Grand Prix-1, Hattrick Magic,A Craig ; 2, Casaretta, M Irving; 3, Elektra, M Irving. 1.20m Grand Prix-1, Warhol Wulfselection Z; 2, Bellagio; 3, Elanka. 1.30m Grand Prix-1, Boucheron; 2, Bailande Van De Kapel; 3, Drumconnick Verdi, A Craig..