YES, they did it again!

Known among members of the Irish Pony Club as the Longford Ladies, Aisling McGreal, Rebecca Lyons, Edel Whyte and Rebecca Yorke were crowned overall sports star of the year for the second successive year at the Ganly’s Longford Sports Star Awards in the Rustic Inn, Abbeyshrule last Friday night.

The quartet won the open team show jumping championship for the third time at the IPC Festival in Barnadown towards the end of July before heading over to Cheshire the following month when they claimed the UK international open team title for the second year running.

August was a busy time for sport in Longford and the girls had to hold off the challenge of nine other nominees, including the highly-regarded Gaelic footballer Keelin McGann, to win the Ulster Bank-sponsored award for that month and qualify for the overall title which was decided by a public vote.

Friday night’s awards ceremony was hosted by Ganly’s in association with the Longford Leader and Longford Sports Partnership. It was attended by Sport Ireland’s chief executive officer John Treacy who launched the Longford Sports Partnership Strategy 2018-2022 during the evening.

Rebecca Yorke is doing the most riding at present as she took a year out after leaving school to work full-time with horses at home. Edel is in first year at Maynooth while Rebecca Lyons attends Moyne Community School. Aisling, who is studying at UCD, is also helping her mother Barbara prepare for the Westmeath and Longford point-to-point which takes place at their home, Corbeagh House, on Sunday, December 2nd.