AS we learned this week that one former Irish Pony Club member, who also made her mark in showing and eventing, was retiring from the racing stage, others have recently recorded their first wins on the track, following in the footsteps of the great Rachael Blackmore.

Megan Telford-Kelly, who represented the Carlow Branch in dressage, combined training and eventing, got off the mark on the racecourse on her 16th attempt last Wednesday week at Gowran Park. She won a division of the mile handicap on Mowgli, a home-bred eight-year-old Bungle Inthejungle gelding whose trainer is the jockey’s boss, Willie McCreery.

Of course, before she got into racing, Megan was well-known on the pony showing scene, particularly in Connemara performance classes, while she also competed at 4*-S level in eventing and represented Ireland at the 2019 European Young Rider Championships at Maarsbergen in The Netherlands on Mr Chocolate.

Also on the racecourse proper but over fences, former Laois Branch member Tommy Halford landed the maiden hunters’ chase at Down Royal’s May Bank Holiday meeting on board Kings Jet, who is trained by former international event rider, Cormac Farrell. In addition to Pony Club activities, Tommy competed regularly under Showjumping Ireland rules, signing off from that career it appears at Cavan’s four-day Christmas horse festival show last year.

Last Friday afternoon, at the former international eventing venue of Castle Irvine, Necarne, a present Irish Pony Club member, Dara O’Sullivan, recorded his first point-to-point win on his third attempt.

The 17-year-old, who is a member of the Ward Union Branch, landed the concluding six-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden on Brock Beauty who is trained by his mother, Claire O’Connell.