Ingliston Country Club’s recent three-day show proved popular with quite a few competitors staying on site and taking advantage of the fabulous facilities on offer at this award-winning venue just outside Bishopton.

Kirkcudbright-based James Smith has been having a very busy few weeks with trips to Balmoral, coming back in time to go to Ayr then off to another 2* at Allington with his top horses before a brief visit to Ingliston preceding another jaunt abroad to France.

James made sure his day was worthwhile with a warm up win in the 1.15m on Victoria Hewson’s latest purchase, the lovely grey Portphillip Queen before heading the line up in the Royal Highland Show B+C qualifier.

A 14-year-old gelding by Quiletto, Ballyhane Etto started his career in Ireland before finding his way to England and Vicky Jeffries, then through Nigel Springer to James who has started stepping him up a level.

Now owned by Ayrshire business man Jim Wilmer this horse won two classes at a Muirmill mid-week show before heading here to record two good clears to win the class outright.

Douglas Duffin picked up some prize money on the scopey up and coming Diarado stallion Eclips but Douglas had already qualified him along with traveling companion Pyjama Jack the previous day at Fife show the qualification passed down the line.

Jessica Hewitt was in third with the Babes family’s Candela VH Slagershof Z, a winner of a 1.25m earlier in the show but she has already qualified at ML show.

Douglas stood fourth with Nicky Morgan’s Djoel, a winner at Highfield leaving Kirsty Boyd delighted to be awarded the second qualifying ticket with her own Elle Clover, adding this to her amateur qualification she gained at Muirmill a couple of weeks earlier.

Based just outside Ayr, Lucy Stewart has won just about everything the last few months so it was no surprise to see her the head of the line in a quick amateur qualifier on her own Cancun,

They are already through to the final and on this form must surely start as one of the hot favourites.

Local rider Nicola Robertson wasn’t far behind with her own former Highland show five-year-old winner Jalisco whilst Gillian Anderson has returned victories from foreign shores to capture her place at the finals on Congeniality B on which she finished third last year.

Helena Pedrosa is a regular to this venue now but certainly made her trip worthwhile when she won no less than four classes with the super speedy and ultra-consistent Abadan.

In the seven years they have been together this Lupicor 12-year-old has won everything up to 1.30m classes proving very quick around 1.10 and 1.20m having won in very good company at Northcote before coming to Ingliston.

Helena’s other rider Valencia was also in the money rounding off her show with a win in a Newcomers.

The Babes team have a good few horses out and about just now thanks to the addition of two new stable jockeys Natasha and Jessica Hewitt.

Making a tidy job of them all from novices to open horses. Natasha has had eight wins already on a new addition the 10-year-old British bred Coromandel which added another two wins to her CV when heading two 1m Opens here.

Candela Van Het Slagershof Z is Jessica’s winning open ride but she’s also doing well on the Scottish bred JJ’s Impressive which scooped up a second in a Foxhunter.

Graham took a Newcomers on Hippolyta Van Het Lambroek a 10-year-old by Contact Van De Heffink out of a Darco mare bought out of Belgium.

Irvine’s Laura Gardiner has had some time off in 2016 getting married and having a baby but has been back in the ring winning again with her two horses Calvadon and A Midsummer Night’s Dream which took a class apiece on the opening day of the three day show.

LEADING awards

British Novice – 1, Broomhill Freddie, F Hunt; 2, CES Seaamanchip, F Hunt; 3, L Singa, H Ross. Discovery – 1, Special Chip, F MacIntyre; 2, Kanannie, F MacIntyre; 3, Flint K, W Hendry. Newcomers/1.10m – 1, Abadan. H Pedrosa; 2, Dali V, S Laird; 3, Middlebank Cento, C Pearson. Foxhuter – 1, Abadan; 2, Elottie, H Ross; 3, Zimeria, K Sawers. British Novice – 1, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, L Gardiner; 2, Seans Hero, A Burns; 3, Mistery De Litrange, D Brown. 90cms Open-1, Calvadon, L Gardiner; 2, Coromandel, N Hewitt; 3, Black Jack Flash, N Hewitt. Discovery – 1, Seans Hero; 2, Dakota SM, A Henderson; 3, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. 1m Open – 1, Coromandel; 2, Lou Lou De Rouet, D Brown; 3, Calvadon. Newcomers – 1, Hippolyta Van Het Lambroek, G Babes; 2, Bayan De La Bouverie, G Babes; 3, Valencia, H Pedrosa. 1.15m Open – 1, Abadan; 2, Her L’Amour, T Nicholson; 3, Ranee, J McLelland. Foxhunter/1.20-1, Abadan; 2, JJ’s Impressive, J Hewitt; 3, Sun View Star, A Brown. 1.25m Open – 1, Candela VH Slagershof Z, J Hewitt; 2, Farao M, G Babes & Elottie. British Novice – 1, Hollygate Beloved, E Dawson; 2, Don Coyote, A Clinton; 3, Dakota, E Hendry. 90cms Open – 1, Parkhill Legacy, L Rennie; 2, Black Jack Flash; 3, Coromandel. Discovery – 1, Skye FM, O Coia; 2, Bandrum E Sprite, C Hamilton; 3, My Hallo Jessie, N Devlin. 1m Open – 1, Coromandel; 2, Bright Eyes T, E McIntosh; 3, CE Rocklands Cherry, C Hamilton. Newcomers – 1, Valenca; 2, Highland Delux Z Stormonth; 3, CE Rocklands Cherry. 1.10m Open – 1, Start Up Esteban. A Gray; 2, Gunar S, T Smith; 3, Coppers Dream, J McClelland. 1.15m Open – 1, Portphillip Queen, J Smith; 2, Quiro Des Brumes, W Hendry; 3, Shorty 98, J Smith. RHS Amateur – 1, Cancun, L Stewart; 2, Jalisco, N Robertson; 3, Congenilaity B, G Anderson. RHS B+C-1, Ballyhane Etto, J Smith; 2, Eclips VII, D Duffin; 3, Candela VH Slagershof Z.