The Dunmanway Agricultural Show was delighted to host the 2026 All-Ireland Young Show Person Competition, welcoming some of Ireland's most talented young handlers to compete for one of the most prestigious titles in the showing calendar.
The championship was the brainchild of the late Kitty Cotter, whose vision was to create a competition that recognised and encouraged excellence among young exhibitors. Since its inception, the competition has become an important fixture in the show calendar, providing young handlers with the opportunity to showcase their horsemanship, presentation skills, knowledge and sportsmanship.

The competition is held in memory of the late Eleanor Moore and continues to honour her memory through the encouragement and recognition of young people involved in showing.

This year's competition attracted an exceptionally high standard of competitors, making for a closely contested championship. The competition was expertly judged by Sharon Fitton, whose experience and knowledge ensured a thorough assessment of each competitor's horsemanship, presentation and overall showmanship.

The 2026 results were:

1st Place – James Furey (Galway) with My Precious Diamond

2nd Place – Matthew Newell (Co. Galway) with Kilcahill Gemini

3rd Place – Lorna Neville (Cork) with Oh Boy

4th Place – Kate Kennedy (Tipperary) with Ballyerk Gold Dust

5th Place – Saoirse Keohane (Cork) with Kilmacabea Floss

6th Place – Emma Burchill (Co. Cork) with Avonbrae Cam An Ime

Dunmanway Agricultural Show extends sincere congratulations to all competitors who took part. The standard of turnout, horsemanship, ringcraft and knowledge demonstrated throughout the competition reflects the bright future of Irish showing.

We were honoured to welcome Conor Sheridan from Horse Sport Ireland to present the prizes to our successful competitors.

This class is funded by the Breeding Grant Initiative, under National Breeding Services, with thanks to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and delivered by Horse Sport Ireland.

Dunmanway Agricultural Show would like to thank Horse Sport Ireland, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, our judges, stewards, volunteers and everyone who contributed to another successful championship. Most importantly, we congratulate every young competitor who took part. Your dedication, professionalism and enthusiasm are a credit to yourselves, your families and the future of the Irish horse industry.

We look forward to welcoming competitors back to Dunmanway in 2027.