MANY congratulations to Sam Ewing who, on just his sixth ride, recorded his first pony racing victory in the 14.2hh race at Ballybrittas on Sunday, going on to complete a double.

The 12-year-old, eldest son of point-to-point rider turned handler Warren Ewing and his wife Deborah, got off the mark on Waratah who is trained in Co Laois by Seamus Bergin. He then landed the 15hh race on The Boody Man who is owned by the rider’s grandfather, Seamus McNeilly.

Sam, who rides out and schools the pointers at his father’s Bernice Stables near Templepatrick, did a bit of registered show jumping when he was younger but is now concentrating solely on racing. Brother Jack (nine) has no interest in ponies but the youngest of the trio, Will (five), is riding a piebald passed on to the Ewings by Paul Carberry.

Warren never did any pony racing himself but, in 2000, shared the northern point-to-point riders’ championship with Liam Lennon. Non-rider Deborah doesn’t even like watching Sam in action and, having decided one day that they “were going too fast” in the pony races, stays away.