ANOTHER hugely successful Irish Pony Club Festival was held last Thursday, Friday and Saturday when members of Branches throughout the nine regions converged on Barnadown in Co Wexford.

Sadly, the great run of the Co Longford Branch in the TRI Equestrian Open team show jumping has come to an end with Edel Whyte, who finished fifth individually on Saturday, being the only one still regularly competing with the Pony Club who was on the Branch team which twice won the British championships.

Just two teams lined-out and it was the mixed Area 4 quartet of Kilkenny’s Jack Ryan (Tynagh Sam), the Islands’ Ciara Kelly (Cassies Dream), Killinick’s Taylor Peare (WEC Imperial Master) and Wexford’s Eimear Jackman (Clodaghs Imperial Imp) who were presented with the Irish Pony Club trophy. Their rivals, Carlow, won the Horsemanship Award.

Tipperary Branch member Keelin McCarthy claimed the Beauregard trophy as the individual Open winner with the 16-year-old Coevers Diamond Boy mare Millridge Cara on whom she finished on her dressage score in the CCI1*-Intro class at the international in Kilguilkey in late June.

Alex Connors, who has been selected to represent Ireland at the upcoming European pony eventing championships in Poland, won the individual Intermediate show jumping with Knockbordan Revelation.

They were on the Kildare Maltesers team which, with the only double clear round, claimed the John Ledingham cup along with Alex’s brother Ben (Cornafest Fred), Jessica Reid (Bella Donna Diamond) and Anna White (Breakfast At Tiffanys).

Three Louth members – Saoirse Riley, Annie McGinn and Lee Grifferty – had joined forces with Patrick Purfield of the Ward Union Branch to win the Area 7 qualifier and here were presented with the Kane Trophy as winners of the Horsemanship award.

Some 27 teams started in Intermediate championship final with two more taking part in the Junior team championship for the Robbie Bailey cup.

This went down to a third round jump-off between four teams with the fastest combined time of 64.79 being recorded by the Island Falcons duo of Bridín Doyle (Corlea Star) and Ciara O’Neill (Rockstar Diamond).

They were cheered on from the sidelines by their fellow team members, Ian Noctor (Bobbing Robin) and Eoin Cloke (Banjo Bobby). United Lightening finished second on 65.43.

The Meath Tigers quartet of Isabella Gogan, Clodagh McGauran, Amelia McCarthy and Emily O’Regan won the Horsemanship award and were presented with the Macken Silver Salver, while Bray’s Molly Dunne was the recipient of the Gerry Gee Trophy having won the Junior individual final on Riverside Countess.

Under 12s

The Under 12s’ team championship for the Alice Mernagh trophy was held on Friday when it was contested by 34 teams.

Here, the Sligo Stars foursome of Colin Dunleavy (Snowy), Rory Connaughton (Brilliant Bruce), Bronagh Wilson (Caresto) and Billy Filan (Deelside Silver) were rewarded for their journey to Barnadown, while Galway Mid County’s Cadla Cunningham won the individual title on Milford Lad.

The Horsemanship award was won by the Kildare Jelly Tots (Ellen O’Neill, Sarah Smullen, Bobby Lambe and Robyn Dempsey).

Over the two days, team turnout was also judged and the winners were Warrington Amber (Under 12s), United Lightening (Junior) and East Galway (Intermediate).

The opening day of the Festival saw the youngest members of the IPC contest the Champion Hats combined training finals and here the honours were well spread out with Carbery’s Niamh Verkade winning the Under 10s’ title on Jacky Chan.

The Under 12st championship was divided with the honours in Section A going to Aoife Flynn of the Nenagh Branch who comfortably won the 24-strong class with Brynseion Don Juan, an eight-year-old black Welsh gelding on whom she also competes under Show Jumping Ireland rules.

During a busy showing season, Lara Field has still had time to enjoy Pony Club activities as a member of the Galway Mid County Branch and she narrowly won Section B with Creganna Dancer, an 11-year-old skewbald mare by Moores Clover.

Combined training

Combined training also took place on Friday and here the winners were Kildare’s Rachael Doyle on Kilcreene Jasper (Junior), Newcastle Lyons’s Laura Kavanagh with The Alders Bobby Dazzler (Novice), Kildare’s Ruby Hughes on Johnny Handsome (Intermediate) and the aforementioned Keelin McCarthy on Millridge Cara (Open).

The Carlow Branch dominated Friday’s Champion Hats pure dressage finals as they claimed the Bill Fisk memorial shield through their team of Ellen Kelly (Corabbey Lily Anne), Rachel Carr (Calelvador May Blossom), Ava Murphy (Master Harney) and Jack Carr (Bornio).

Rachel and her 13-year-old palomino mare, who compete at a high level under Dressage Ireland rules, won the individual final and, with it, the Ronan and Cossack cups.

The defending champions, Laois, failed to qualify for next week’s senior mounted games final at the RDS but they won Friday’s B final at Barnadown. The other winners were Tipperary (Junior) and Shillelagh (Under 10s).

Disappointingly, just one troupe, Co Clare, took part in the musical ride. Congratulations to them and their support team for putting in the time and effort it takes to organise such a performance.