THE show jumping section of the recent Irish Pony Club Festival at the Mullingar Equestrian Centre was sponsored by Mackey whose support, along with that of Champion Hats, is much appreciated by the organisers.

The first competition to run under the banner of the Co Wicklow-based company was Saturday’s Alice Mernagh Under 12s’ championship, which was jumped at 80cms. Alice, a former chairman of the IPC, presided over this competition which attracted just short of 130 members.

Thirty-two teams competed with seven completing the first two rounds on a score of zero. Though all competitors on a double clear progressed to the jump-off, two were nominated to represent their teams in this third round of jumping. The fastest double clear in 67.55 was recorded by the Kildare Blue duo of Alex Connors (Moyglass Snowy) and Katie O’Neill (Pepper). Urging their teammates on were Rachael Doyle (Casper) and Lucy Hennessy (Pirate Queen).

Meath Blue finished second in 69.06 with Carlow Green placing third in 74.99.

Carlow Red were at a disadvantage in that one of their team riders was a ‘non-runner’ on the day. However, one of the remainder was the in-form Rachel Carr who added victory in the Junior individual championship, where she stopped the clock on 29.81, to her win in Friday’s combined training. Her partner on both days was the palomino mare Calelvador May Blossom.

Carlow Red also provided the third-placed combination of Isabelle Donohue and The Hare (30.47), with Faye Murphy of the sixth-placed Killinick Pink team claiming the runner-up spot on Brighter Day Biscuits (30.08).

Fourth on Saturday, the Ward Union Branch won Sunday’s Mackey Robbie Bailey Under 14 championship which was run over a 90cms track and saw six of the 31 teams complete their two rounds of jumping on zero.

Chosen to represent the Ward against the clock were Kate Horgan (Moona Curragh Ted) and Patrick Purfield (Killone Rio) whose double clear was recorded in 62.81. The other riders on the team were Katelyn McMahon (Scarthy Villa) and Katie Attley (North Star).

The Limerick Stars were second on 71.73 with East Galway, who only had three riders on their squad, placing third in 75.33.

Horgan and Attley were third and fourth respectively in the individual championship, behind Roisin Kane of Louth, who bagged victory in 28.96 with Serene, and Limerick’s Sorcha Kirby on Ballypierce Razzle (30.17).

The Mackey John Ledingham Intermediate championship, for riders under 21 years of age and jumped at a maximum height of 1m, was won by the Killinick Blue team who got through to the jump-off on a score of four faults, as did Kildare Blue.

Against the clock, Kildare’s nominated riders notched up 12 faults and, while the Killinicks’ Frank Ronan and Kingsfort Copper left two poles on the ground, Alannah Lacey and the well-known Irish Draught stallion Killinick Bouncer, who had provided the discard score in round two, jumped a magnificent clear to clinch victory.

Also on Killinick Blue were Aoife Pettit, riding Essenar Double Dutch, and James Mernagh on Deroon Rock, both of whom picked up four faults in round one but ensured the team’s progress by jumping clear in round two.

A superb clear in 36.96 saw Kilkenny’s Maeve Ryan claim individual honours on Tynagh Sam, with Zara Bokhari of Galway Mid County placing second on Boulabeha’s Little (41.75). Thomas Whyte finished third on Ardagh Epic (42.05) and his Branch, Longford, will be heading over to the British championships for the second year in a row following their win at Open level.

Disappointingly, only two teams started and the three-rider Carlow squad were never a threat as they posted a two-round score of 32 compared to the Longfords’ total of four. The winning team was made up of Aisling McGreal (Rincoola Holly Berry), Rebecca Lyons (Castlerea Draoi), Edel Whyte (Abel Star) and Rebecca Yorke (La Vie Hof Ter Zeedycke).

Only one clear round was recorded in the Mackey senior individual championships and that came from the Killinicks’ Andrea Dempsey who left all the poles intact in a time of 58.51 riding her five-year-old Shannondale Sarco St Ghyvan gelding Great Command.