LAST week’s 50th anniversary Ballindenisk international horse trials was marked by an excellent entry in the featured CCI4*-L, which as mentioned on p91, was won by Britain’s Hayden Hankey and the Irish Sport Horse gelding Fools In Love, and the introduction of two well-supported team competitions for young riders.

One, for the George Mernagh Cup, was for all riders under 25 years of age across the range of 3*, 2* and 1* classes and this followed on from the first leg of this youth exchange competition at the Cornbury international horse trials in England last month. Ireland ran out the winners by six points.

The second was a Nations’ Cup competition for selected members of Branches in The Pony Club throughout Britain and Northern Ireland and for similarly selected members of Branches of The Irish Pony Club. This was divided into a CNC2* class which attracted a team from England and Ireland and a CNC1* class in which there were five teams, two from England, one from Ireland, one from Northern Ireland and one from Wales. The teams comprised five riders with four counting scores.

To give the Nations Cup riders the flavour of an international event, the two classes were run as long format events with dressage on Friday and cross-country on Saturday. A trot-up was held prior to the final show jumping phase on Sunday.

Fran Rowlatt-McCormick, Area representative for Area 17 of The Pony Club (Northern Ireland) and a driving force behind youth eventing in Ireland, was delighted with the weekend. “The FEI ground juries were so supportive and did rider briefing at which everyone learned so much about travelling, horse welfare and teamwork.”

The enthusiasm of the young riders added to the great atmosphere which always prevails at international events hosted by the Fell family at Ballindenisk where, hoping very much that these competitions continue, they might need to add an extension to the Barn Shed where the Youth Supper was held on Friday night.

The CNC2* team competition was won by Ireland (179.5 penalties), who had the advantage of a discard score over England (302.8). On a penalty score of 139.7, England White claimed the honours in the CNC1* ahead of Wales (147.6), Northern Ireland (158.8), Ireland (163) and England Red (167.1). Details of the individual results will be carried next week.

The Nations Cup competition proved to be a huge success. Hoping that it does return to Ballindenisk, members of Branches of the IPC can now target the team event at the hugely popular Connolly’s Red Mills IPC national eventing team championships with the hope of being selected for one of the Nations’ Cup teams, while young riders who now compete solely with Eventing Ireland might be persuaded to re-join the IPC to compete on a team at Ballindenisk.

The same applies to members of Branches of Area 17 where they have the opportunity of competing at the British Pony Club championships as well.

If any of the Pony Club riders wanted further inspiration, most of the winners and placed riders in the FEI classes were members of Pony Clubs in their youth and that includes the above-mentioned CCI4*-L winner Hayden Hankey who, for many years, was a member of the Heythrop Hunt Branch of The Pony Club.