Awards Venue:
Silver Springs Hotel, Cork
Champion Rider: Derek O’Connor 59 winners
Champion Lady: Liz Doyle
Champion Novice (Under 21): Andrew McNamara
Northern Champion: Brian Hamilton
Southern Champion: Derek O’Connor
Eastern Champion: Colin Motherway
Western Champion: J.T. McNamara
Horse of the Year: Never Compromise
Champion Senior (over 33): B.R. Hamilton
Personality of the Year: Bill McLernon
Breeders Award: Andrew Pierce
Leading Sire Award: Mister Lord
RIDER TABLE
59 Derek O’Connor (Overall & Southern Champion – New record)
46 J T McNamara (Western Champion)
34 Gordon Elliott
27 Colin Motherway (Eastern Champion)
24 A J McNamara (Novice Champion)
23 B R Hamilton (Northern & Senior Champion), D Murphy, R Widger
21 R M Moran, C J Sweeney
20 B Hassett
19 P Cashman
16 M J O’Connor
12 J D Moore, J G Sheahen
11 E Gallagher, A E Lynch
10 J T Carroll
9 Miss E Doyle (Lady Riders Champion), R F Lavery, W M O’Sullivan, R P Quinlan
8 M Darcy, M J Ferris, B O Walsh
7 J J Codd, J T Keeling
6 J O McGrath, B O’Sullivan, T Peoples, K E Power.
5 M A Cahill, P Fahey, R Loughran, S McGonagle, M J O’Hare, P Tobin, D Whelan
4 J G Bennett, D W Cullen, J D Dorgan, A T Duff, J J Dullea, A Fitzgerald, A Fleming,
L J Gracey, M J Henry, N C Kelleher, E Magee, W J McCarthy, P J O’Neill
3 R L Cully, T Feeney, J P Fortune, A P Keatley, Miss J A Kidd, S McCullagh,
R P McNally, C J Moran, C M Murphy, B D O’Neill, C J Swords, R J Tierney
2 Miss H Bolger, J M Cahill, Miss N Carberry, J Cash, P J Cosgrave, T W Cullen,
F P Cunningham, M P Fitzgerald, D A Fitzimmons, B J Foley, J A Griffin,
F M Hanley, M D Hickey, D Keenan, Miss E A Lalor, Miss C J MacMahon,
S F Magee, S McHugh, P P O’Brien, J P O’Farrell, R O’Sullivan, D G Porter,
E F Power, J T Rath, J J Smyth, M J Walsh
1 J R Bailey, J M Barcoe, S E Butler, P M Byrne, P J A Casey, A G Cash, B F Cawley, T N Cloke, W F Codd, J Conheady, C J Cosgrave, G P Cribben, A P Crowe, L J Donnelly, D M Duggan, R J Egan, J W Farrelly,
M Flannery, L P Flynn, D J Fogarty, Miss N Forde, J J Gault, C Gordon, Miss M L Hallahan, J W Hannon,
R O Harding, P Harty, R M Hennessy, Miss L A Hourigan, A A Howard, C Hughes, Miss C Hutchinson, N G Hynds, Miss J E Kidd, D MacAuley, J A Maguire, P McAleese, Miss R McGuigan, W J McLernon, N McParlan,
K Mockler, J Motherway, B O’Connell, Miss I O’Riordan, B Potts, J T Quinn, R P Rath, K M Roche, Miss N L Sell, D T Stratton, A Stronge, J S Vance, Miss K Walsh, J M Willis
SUMMARY
- This season was all about one rider - Derek O'Connor. The first modern day rider to win the riders award on the track and in point to points made even more special given all the Sunday racing these days. Derek won the Southern title easily and was only just touched off in the Northern region but in the one that counts the most he took the overall title from John Thomas McNamara by riding a new record of 59 winners leaving the Galway rider 13 winners clear
- Beaten at Loughrea on his debut behind Mr Shush, Never Compromise then went on to win six times on the trot. Three point to points and three Hunter Chases were followed by a runner up spot in the Christies Foxhunters at Cheltenham behind Earthmover. This was enough to see him win this award and beat Joseph O'Reilly and Champion Hunter Chase winner Just Cassandra and Tetratema winner General Montcalm.
- The Northern title went to the final day with Brian Hamilton and Derek O'Connor seperated by one winner. Above Brian Hamilton returns having scored aboard Right Direction which was the winner that sealed the title for the second year running for the Downpatrick rider.
- The Southern award is an award won by the Overall champion and this year was no exception. Derek O'Connor took this section with 34 winners all of thirteen clear of Damien Murphy who was on 21.
- Although forced to concede defeat the overall title to Derek O'Connor John Thomas McNamara took the Western title for the sixth time. His 23 winners this season leave him 13 clear of his cousin and Novice Champion Andrew.
- Colin Motherway was close to taking the Eastern award last season but made no mistake this time around winning by eight winners from Robbie Moran who also had to settle for the runner up spot in the Novice title.
- Andrew McNamara ensured the Novice award was probably the most exciting of the lot. It looked a match between Robbie Moran and Coleman Sweeney with a week to go but McNamara rode eight winners in three meetings and eventually won by three winners on the very last day of the season.
- Brian Hamilton retained the Senior title to ensure that since 1999 this award has always been won by the Northern champion.His score of 23 left him well clear of Eoin Gallagher on 11 winners and William O'Sullivan on 9 winners.
- Liz Doyle took this years Lady Riders title by nine winners to three courtesy of a good run by some of her own stars Sober Performance and Lotto Lolly in particular leaving her six clear of her closest challenger Jackie Kidd. This was the Wexford riders fourth Ladies title.
- The winning breeder, Andrew Pierce, owns Blackhall Stud, where he stands two stallions, Corrouge, and Rashar. Mr. Pierce has bred 4 individual point-to-point winners in Ireland this season. Rossdee Lad (1 win), Black Glen (2 wins), Ninaprettyballerina (1 win) and Oyster Point (1 win)
- One of the most fitting winners was for the Personality award won by Bill McLernon and a well deserved addition to this list of people who have give much to the sport. A multiple point to point champion who rode over 260 winners and is sixth in the overall riders table since the war even with the extra racing in modern day pointing. Since retiring he has continued to contribute to the sport largely through his work as a course inspector and received a standing ovation when announced as the 2004 Personality of the year winner.
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