DISAPPOINTINGLY for all involved, there was a very small entry for the first Irish Pony Club/Connolly’s Red Mills eventing qualifier of the season which was hosted by the Muskerry branch at Farrangalway last Saturday.

The qualifier not only clashed with the international event at Kilguilkey House (where Area 5 is staging a Red Mills qualifier tomorrow) but also with the inter-schools show jumping and pony showing section at the Cork Summer Show in Curraheen.

The entry of just short of 60 was nearly half that of last year, scant reward for all the effort put into the cross-country course by Dane Curtis and Liam Burke of the South Union Hunt, owners of the venue, and the Muskerry parents who helped dress the fences and prepare the rest of the grounds for the event.

At least the track will have a second ‘outing’ tomorrow when the Knocknamana Riding Club holds its annual one-day event at the Kinsale venue.

It would have been easy for the organisers to cancel’s Saturday’s qualifier but that would have disappointed those who had entered and were seeking qualification for the championships in August.

“In spite of the poor entry, it was a super day and everyone enjoyed themselves,” commented Celine O’Connor, joint-district commissioner of the Muskerrys. “The course was testing for ponies and riders and in fantastic condition.” Basil Blennerhassett was in charge of a great barbeque which helped boost people’s spirits.

Following the withdrawal of the dressage ‘winner’, Tipperary’s Aveen O’Neill on Bouncing Chex (26.6), the intermediate class fell to Jennifer Hennessy and her new mount for the season, the 17-year-old Duky gelding Millford Sound who has plenty of Eventing Ireland experience behind him.

The West Waterford representatives added 2.8 cross-country time penalties to their good flatmark of 26.8 while Scarteen’s Julia Crowe completed on her dressage score of 32 to place second with Castlequarter Rambo. In finishing third for the host branch, Erica Flannery also completed on her first phase score of 36 with JMF Deadly Buzz.

It was a disappointing day for West Carbery’s Niamh O’Carroll. As the sole entry in the open class, she had a run-out across the country with Castlelawn and although well-placed after dressage (28.4) in the intermediate ended up being eliminated on the final leg with Leaca Re Velentino.

Carberry’s Sharon Coombes won the duel for honours in the novice intermediate class with Ri Dubh.

There were very few double clears in the 26-runner junior class where the only combination to beat the 30-penalty barrier in dressage was the South Union’s Nicole Lynch and the seven-year-old Nigrasine mare Chasmarella. They won on their flat score of 28.3 as they followed up their good second-place finish in an EI 90 class at Clyda earlier in the month.

From the same branch, Michelle O’Driscoll was second with the five-year-old Connemara gelding Kingston David (30.6) while the Muskerrys finished third through Keela Craven whose total of 33.1 on Sinead St Giles included 1.2 for time across the country.

The United Branch won the under-12 class through Faye Gordon who finsihed on her dressage score of 30.8 penalties with the 14-year-old show umping mare Lady Ferbane.

The Muskerrys’ Olga Barry Murphy to finish second on her flatwork mark of 31.5 with Greybrook Buddy while the completion score of 35.5 recorded by the South Union’s Paul Burke and Mighty Atom included four show jumping penalties.