THE final qualifier for this year’s Sports Pony Challenge was held at Boswell Equestrian Centre last Saturday when clashes with the Dublin Horse Show Connemara performance hunter qualifier at Scarteen and Horse of the Year Show qualifiers in Britain meant some regulars were missing from the starting line-ups.

Anna Byrne, who was one of the ‘guinea pig’ dressage riders at the recent Tattersalls International Horse Trials with Fairyhouse C1oco, partnered her father David’s nine-year-old Gwennic de Goariva mare to win the 153cms class, dropping only five points on her way to victory.

Identical score

Likewise, winning on 295 points was Sarah Keane who recorded that score in the Connemara class for riders under 16 with her mother Avril Hobson’s home-bred Silver Shadow gelding, Lon Mac Líomhtha.

Ali Barrett topped the scores in all three phases to win the Over 16s’ class on the eight-year-old Castleside Carrig gelding, Carrig’s Island Lad.

In the earlier 133cms class, Keane and the 19-year-old dun gelding Brimstone Bowman had to settle for second (285 points) behind Mia Regan Byrne and the 17-year-old chesnut gelding Jubilee VI (290).

Maximum points

Jack Murphy picked up the maximum 300 points to land the 143cms class on the 14-year-old grey gelding Tynan Earl Grey.

Anna Boucher-Hayes won the combined training starter stakes class on the 11-year-old Holyoake Czar gelding Goldengrove Morsecode.

The final of the Sports Pony Challenge takes place at the Mullingar Equestrian Centre on Thursday, June 27th, and all those who have qualified are reminded that that they to have to enter their respective divisions.