THE Tullylagan Branch of The Pony Club did a great job in organising last Sunday’s Area 17 dressage at The Meadows where the title sponsor was Tamlaght Equestrian Care.

Special mention must be made of Christine Kennedy who pulled the fixture together as fellow District Commissioner, Colleen Glasgow, has been unwell in hospital. Hopefully, Colleen was cheered up by all the positive reports on the day.

Area 17 Representative Fran Rowlatt-McCormick was certainly pleased with results at the high levels. “It was great to see that Area 17 dressage training over the winter with Joanne Jarden was reflected in the Open and Intermediate sections with several of the selected Windsor team doing well at Area level.

“At mini and regional qualifier level, it was very encouraging to see large numbers coming forward from across Northern Ireland which resulted in very competitive classes. Tack and turnout was particularly pleasing with some very smart, clean and correctly turned out members on display.

“The Meadows was very well presented with flowers and immaculate arenas,” continued Fran. “A large group of children spent time at the end of the competition ‘poo picking’ for which they were rewarded in the on-site TRI shop with excellent treats.”

There were team and individual competitions at seven levels but there was no Open team event with the individual honours being claimed by one of those Windsor riders, East Antrim’s Erin McCrea, who scored 72.64% on her father Clinton’s Eisfee who she competes at EI110 level with Eventing Ireland.

McCrea and the 18-year-old Hanoverian mare by Embassy also recorded a comprehensive victory on 78.17% in the individual Intermediate competition. At this level, the team competition was won by a mixed foursome of Mid Antrim’s Grace Moore (Canadian Clipper), Alice Salters (Drumiller Design) and Hannah Thompson (Jemeeela Charm) plus North Down’s Jennifer Thursfield (Silver Button).

Isaac McCarthy landed the Novice individual on Suirvalley Little Monkey (75%) and he and the 18-year-old bay gelding were also members of the winning Iveagh Zeabras team at this level along with Catherine Cowan (Lady Remarque) and Poppy Moore (Gee Whizz). In actual fact, Moore’s was the discard score with McCarthy providing a second on his grandfather Denis Currie’s great servant Arodstown Aramis.

The East Antrim Sparrows quartet of Annie Morrow (Liberty’s Benjamin), Lucy Rooney (Donegreah Rosanna), Ellie-Mae Kerr (3DR Jokin Joe) and Ana Goodrich (Broadleas Chase) saw off the challenge of 12 other squads to win the PC80 team competition. Morrow and Goodrich dominated the individual competition, the former winning on her mother Kathy’s seven-year-old British-bred palomino gelding Liberty’s Benjamin (82.29%), while Goodrich finished second with the Irish Sport Pony gelding Broadleas Chase (80.21), a 10-year-old grey by Moores Clover.

Team honours

Sixteen squads contested the PC70 team competition where the honours were claimed by the East Antrim Black quartet of Cynthia Jane O’Brien (Drumcaughey Diamond), Hannah McCammond (Telaid Paper), Kate McDowell (Highburren Cameron) and Penny Logan. The Route Red team owe their second-place finish to Harry Campbell who won both individual competitions. In Section A, he partnered the 15-year-old grey mare Little Miss Bling (78%) while, in Section B, he was on board Foxwood Fabian Stedman (84.80), a 17-year-old bay mare by Moortown Country Man.

In the Walk/Trot competitions, there were wins among the unassisted riders for the North Down Black team of Erin Tennis (Thomas), Lily Muir (Rocky), Amy Reid (Bonnie Princess Charlie) and Carter Greeves (Lily) while East Antrim’s Amelia Logan recorded a straightforward, if narrow, victory on Fielden Real McCoy (73.75%), a 12-year-old piebald gelding, in Section A of the individual competition.

A ride-off was required to determine the winner in Section B after two members of the Iveagh Branch recorded scores of 89.75% with the same collective mark of 63. In the end, Lucy Davidson claimed the win on the 24-year-old piebald mare My Perfect Puzzle (91.50) while Alexis Trainor hd to settle for second with Hi Ho Silver (87.75).

Team honours in the assisted division went to the East Down Ben Crom quartet of Violet Davidson (Archill Lass), Pippa Morris (Lily), Jack Steele, who won the individual Section A with the 20-year-old grey gelding Scooby Doo’s The One (75.50%), and Charlotte Curran who topped the final leaderboard in Section B with Loneash Daisy (92.25), a 16-year-old mare by Tyfry Erinmore.