WEEK one of the JCB-sponsored The Pony Club championships was devoted to mounted games, polocrosse and tetrathlon.

Area 17 had no competitive involvement in the mounted games section but had two representatives in polocrosse, North Down members Eloise Keers (12) and Max Lewis (11), who took part in the Novice Mini competition, winning two of their three games.

Polocrosse is a fast-moving sport, akin to polo, involving two teams of three players. It’s played with a racquet, similar to a lacrosse racquet. Each game consists of three six-minute chukkas, with a six-minute rest between each to allow the ponies to recover after fast paced games.

“Eloise and Max were joined on their team by Isla Oliver-Byrne (eight) who is from the North Warwickshire branch,” revealed Eloise’s mother, Andrea. “Eloise rode her own pony Applejack (12.2hh grey) while Max hired a pony called Ally (12hh roan).

“The newly formed team gelled extremely well, quickly responding to each other’s strengths and played superbly. Their most convincing performance was in their final game where they won eight goals to one against the Essex Hunt North Pony Club. Eloise and Max train at Area 17 polocrosse rallies, where they are coached by Angela Fynn, while they are also members of the Tyrella Polocrosse Club coached by Craig Kileff.”

In tetrathlon, the highest-placed individual Area 17 competitor was Connie Crothers of the Iveaghs, who finished 14th in the Open Girls’ championship, while the Branch’s Alex Phillips, Beth Wishart and Beth Phillips were fifth in the Junior Girls’ team championship. Competing at her first Championships, the North Down’s Lauren Taylor finished 21st of 88 in that Junior Girls’ competition.

The next major competition for Area 17 members is the Home Championships in eventing which are scheduled to take place next Monday at the Campbell family’s Dirraw Farm, in Finvoy.