THE Irish Pony Society (IPS) are introducing an exciting new national competition, hosted by the hunter pony committee, with a prize fund of €2,500. The Sports Pony Challenge is a testing three-phase competition which will highlight the versatility and professional production standards of ponies and riders, focussing on all round excellence.

The competition will be judged over three disciplines - dressage, performance hunter and show jumping. The performance hunter class will be judged over a course of natural fences, and the show jumping which will be run under show jumping rules.