THE Ward Union Branch won two of the three team show jumping competitions at last weekend’s Irish Pony Club Area 7 Festival qualifier at Cavan EC.
On Friday, the Gold squad of Phoebe Horgan (Ballycurry Daisey), Alex O’Connor (Milton), Catherine O’Connor (Casper) and Dara O’Sullivan (Misty) took the honours in the Alice Mernagh Under 12s qualifier ahead of Louth Lightning and Ward Stars.
On Saturday, in the John Ledingham qualifier for riders 12 and upwards, it was another Ward Gold team which came out on top, this quartet comprising Patrick Purfield (BM Arkansas Diamond), Ciara O’Sullivan (Dale), Anna Byrne (Fairyhouse Coco) and Ann Berg (Cluainin Morning Robe). The Louth Branch again had to settle for second place through its Tigers team with the Meath Rockers slotting into third. In the qualifier for the Festival’s Robbie Bailey championship (riders under 14), the Louths got their head in front thanks to their three-strong Puma team of Laura McKevitt (Woodwide Kiss Me Quick), Lucy Bell (Carlingford Sam) and Jessica Kavanagh (Tirhomin Bouncer Lass). The Meath Tigers were second ahead of their fellow Rangers team.
The honours were more widely spread in Friday’s Mackey Classic qualifiers where the winners were Aoibhe Long of Meath on Hersey’s Kiss (90cms), Cavan’s Elly McQuade on Drumagoland Melo (1m), Monaghan’s Sean Donnelly riding Monmurry Sovereign (1.10m) and Niamh Farrell of Meath with Crossinstown Clover (1.20m).
DRESSAGE
It was thanks to the Meath Branch that the dressage competition went ahead on Friday as theirs were the only entries. All three of their teams thus qualified for the Festival, their winning Gold quartet being Susie Shekleton (Give Me A Reason), Sadhbh Gannon (Capitol Coin), Iona Pollock (Killinick Dazzler) and Niamh Farrell (Moylaw Brando) who was winner of the individual competition.
The combined training winners were Emily McCourt of Louth on Rathbane Legend (Open) and her teammate Saoirse Riley with A Tad More Heart (Intermediate). There was a Louth victory also at Novice level through Charlotte Moffitt on Dunbeggan Misty Imp. The Ward Union’s Ciara O’Sullivan won the Junior competition on Dale, her teammate Phoebe Horgan topped the marks in the Under 12 competition on Ballycurry Daisey while Cavan’s Harriet Brady was the winner of the Under 10s section on Indian Ilby.