A SHORT family break in Clifden last weekend was just the ticket for Cian Greene, allowing the five-year-old to recharge his batteries following some highly competitive action in his first season on the pony showing circuit.

With his mother Jamie as handler, Cian partnered his new mount, the Welsh Section A pony Thistledown Special Delivery (aka Postman Pat) into second place in the Open Mountain & Moorland lead rein class at Wexford Equestrian on Saturday, July 10th when he also finished fourth in the working hunter lead rein on the 14-year-old near white gelding Our Bobs.

The following weekend, the Greenes, who live close to Fairyhouse racecourse and Tattersalls Ireland, took in two shows. On the Saturday, they made the relatively short trip to Nugentstown, where Cian and Our Bobs won the lead rein class, while, on Sunday, it was back to the sunny south-east for the Wicklows’ summer show at Barnadown with the pair claiming both the local lead rein and working hunter lead rein classes.

Cian returns to competition today at Glandoran with the Irish Pony Society Championship Show at Barnadown on August 5th and 6th next on his agenda, followed immediately by the National Horse and Pony Championship Show on August 7th and 8th at Killossery Lodge Stud – he won’t have to get up too early for that!

Cian is a son of former jockey Charles Greene who, with Jamie, runs a thoroughbred breaking, sales preparation, breeze-up and pre-training yard at their Folistown Stud where they also have hunt liveries and deal in hunters and Connemaras.

Charles is “super proud” of his young son’s achievements as is his grandmother, Katie Greene, a former District Commissioner of the Ward Union Pony Club.

Jamie, who used to show, event and point-to-point in England under her maiden name McGuire and did some eventing when she first moved to Ireland, hopes that, having been restricted to some hunting following the birth of Cian and the now three-year-old C.J., she will be making a comeback soon on the competitive stage.