The Galway County Show took centre stage this weekend with the Clarinbridge event seeing record entry numbers, the usual bumper crowds and some of Ireland's leading riders contesting the main events on both Saturday and Sunday.

There was no shortage of local success either with Athenry's Tomas O'Brien coming to the fore on Saturday with a fine win in the Cathal Keane Motors 1.30 metre grand prix on board Voyla, edging out David Blake from country Clare in a thrilling finish.

That victory puts O'Brien back into the lead in the Fahey Sales Connaught League and seems to indicated a thrilling battle for the title with Carl Hanley and Damian Griffin among others awaits in the second half of the very successful provincial competition.

An incredible 111 entries were taken for the class with previous winner Griffin from Ballinasloe finishing fourth and Oranmore's Olive Clarke taking fifth and sixth in the event. Among the other big winners on Saturday was Andrew Burns from Eyrecourt in the five year old horse board qualifier.

The lucrative National Grand Prix league took centre stage on Sunday in front of an enthusiastic Galway crowd with Alex Duffy from Ballina and Olive Clarke from Oranmore both competing well for honours before ultimately coming up short.

In a very competitive amateur class Jacinta Fahey from Ardrahan was once again to the fore in Galway winning Saturday's Horse board qualifier while Claregalway's Therese Dixon finished fifth on Cracklynn Rosie.

In the ponies Ballina's Lydia Glynn scored a stunning victory on Saturday in the 128 ABC event on board Rathdown Bobby jumping clear just ahead of Headford's Raphael Lee and Tim McDonnagh from Gort.

The 148cms six and seven year olds grade was won by Jessica Burke from Ardrahan riding Gabriel Slattery's European Clover with Clare's Eoin McMahon second and Jonathan Gordon from Crossmolina finishing third.

The action was even more intense on Sunday with the finals of all major classes. In the 148 ABC Tourloughmore's Michael Duffy saved his best round for the right moment with an outstanding clear round in 29.34 ahead of Kat McDonnaght on Diego Flow who finished well clear of the rest in second.

Raphael Lee, on board the Silver legend, took the 128 Grade A premier league event in some style winning by almost four seconds with a stunningly quick round.

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