IT’s great to see old but still fit and willing horses and ponies appear on the competition scene again under young riders and a few caught the eye recently in Pony Club company.

At the recent Equieire Irish Pony Club national dressage day at CoilÓg, Sam Watson’s 2020 Tokyo Olympics ride Tullabeg Flamenco finished fifth in Section C of the Junior competition under Isabelle Kennedy, a member of the Co Limerick Branch.

On the same day, Millridge Buachaill Bui landed Section A of the Under 12 competition in the hands of Bray’s Emily Grimes. The now 20-year-old Templebready Fear Bui gelding represented Ireland at five European pony championships, winning one individual bronze and three team medals of the same hue.

The third of those team medals was presented at Strzegom in 2019 to Alex Connors who was also the last member of her family to internationally event the now 21-year-old Knockbordan Revelation. Over the weekend, that grey gelding competed at 70cm and 80cm in show jumping and arena eventing at the Area 17 Barrier Animal Health Spring Festival in Castle Irvine, Necarne under East Down Branch member William Steele.

William, a son of event riders/breeders/producers/coaches Jonny and Clare Steele of Riverhill Stud, borrowed the pair of ‘lucky white boots’ for Knockbordan Revelation which were once worn by the Rowlatt McCormick family’s sadly deceased, and much missed, Mon Ami Tonnerre.