THERE was plenty of pomp and ceremony at The Meadows last Saturday as, shortly after 1pm, Judy Maxwell, representing the sponsors Baileys Horse Feeds, started presenting the prizes in reverse order to the top 15 in the 2026 flexi eventing series.

The last of the league prize winners to have his name announced was the new champion, Dromore High School pupil Isaac McCarthy, who, through results and weekly attendance, had amassed 71 points with Dawn Carlisle’s 19-year-old bay gelding Suirvalley Little Monkey.

Wearing his championship sash on the top of the well-decorated podium, the 15-year-old was the recipient of the winner’s cash prize, the series trophy and, to cap it all, his prize as the leading Pony Club member. McCarthy (whose campaign was well covered in last Saturday’s issue of The Irish Field), claimed that last accolade ahead of fellow Iveagh Branch member Sarah Cowan.

The latter, who had picked up 63 points to finish second overall in the league with her seven-year-old Connemara gelding Gleann Rua Storm (Coosheen Stormboy - Gleann Rua Hazel, by Westside Mirah), was the winner of the sponsor’s Riding Club prize, as she is a senior member of Mossvale which she first joined as a junior.

Cowan, who is in her Final Year at Queen’s University Belfast studying law, spends any free time riding, training and looking after her own horses and often those of her sisters and brothers. She also attends pilates classes twice a week to help develop her balance and core strength.

She very much enjoys the lessons and special training events organised by Mossvale and, recently, the Iveagh winter rallies which are held at the Smith Brothers Eventing yard in Gilford. She is very keen on dressage and has put in a lot of hard work in this discipline under the guidance of her coach Lucinda Webb-Graham.

Future plans

Next on the agenda for Cowan are the Northern Ireland Riding Clubs’ spring championships in show jumping (at Danescroft Equestrian on Sunday, April 19th) and the Area 17 Barrier Health Pony Club spring festival (at Castle Irvine, Necarne on Saturday and Sunday, April 25th and 26th), for which she has qualified in arena eventing and dressage.

Cowan also hopes to start competing at EI80 level with Eventing Ireland this year, but first has to concentrate on her final exams, dissertation and assignments to complete her degree.

Like McCarthy, she was presented with a sash as part of her prize, as was Helen Sawey-Quinn who, thanks to her results on the final points-earning day of the series, narrowly claimed third place in the league ahead of Rebecca Millar, although both completed the series on 53 points apiece.

Sawey-Quinn’s partner over the course of the series was her eight-year-old Traditionally-bred Irish Sport Horse gelding Conor (Lacken Cruise Lad - Terimp, by Master Imp), on whom she recorded multiple placings at EI90 (Amateur) level last season.

Millar, who just lost out on a podium spot, was in action at The Meadows on Saturday when she recorded a clear round over the 90cm cross-country track on her series ride, the nine-year-old Irish Draught gelding Ballygowans Ready Teddy Go (Offaly Clover - Glen Heste Mist, by Ballinrobe Boy).