MANY congratulations to Ella Shanahan, a former member of the Limerick Hunt Branch of the Irish Pony Club, who won the open race at Cragmore on Sunday, January 25th, on her first ride in a point-to-point.

The Clarina native, who is studying for a Bachelor of Arts degree at the Mary Immaculate College in Limerick, landed the three-runner race by half a length on the French-bred gelding In Excelsis Deo. That eight-year-old Saddex bay is owned and trained by Enda Bolger for whom Ella works when not in college.

The meeting was run by the Stonehall Harriers, with whom Ella hunted during her pony days when her favourite Pony Club discipline was Minimus. “I wasn’t a great swimmer but loved it all the same and I really loved going to camp each summer,” said the now 22-year-old. In winning on Sunday, Ella finished just ahead of none other than top amateur jockey Derek O’Connor who was on board the John Roche-bred leading hunters’ chaser, Its On The Line.

Congratulations

That Sunday evening, the Araglen Pony Club used social media to congratulate former member Darragh Allen who, earlier that day, had recorded his 100th point-to-point victory. This milestone was reached in the older mares’ maiden at Lismore on the Terence O’Brien-trained Miss Appleberry after which Darragh went on to win two more races on the Lismore Harriers’ card.