THE two members of Area 17 of the Irish Pony Club who competed in the Green Mile Bedding Pony Club Mini-Major class at last month’s London International Horse Show put up impressive performances in the International Arena on the final day of the fixture but failed to claim the top spot.

The win went to Italy’s Lorenzo de Luca, riding Ronnoco Jump Ltd’s 11-year-old Hanoverian stallion Mangoon, and his young partner Olivia Eglise, a member of the Vale of the White Horse Branch in England, who set a time of 20.75. She was on board Millcroft Gilgamesh, who was subsequently retired from competition. The 2005 gelding by Millcroft Ghost was at one time campaigned here as a working hunter pony by Hillsborough’s Oliver Kinnear.

The winners were the fourth pair to jump while second out were Ireland’s Tom Wachman and Fermanagh Branch member Rory McBride, whose sister Lilly won this event last year when teamed up with Britain’s Matthew Sampson.

Wachman, who was later to win the show’s Turkish Airlines Grand Prix on Coolmore Showjumping’s Do It Easy, jumped clear here on Obora’s Laura, handing over to nine-year-old McBride who set the fastest time (19.84) but lowered the final vertical, which saw his team incur a two-second penalty for a fifth-place total of 21.84.

Third-last of the eight pairs to compete were in-form British rider Rachel Proudley (winner of the show’s Puissance competition) riding Iggy Pop and East Antrim Branch member Isla McKinty on her mother Anne-Marie’s 2017 skewbald gelding Killorglin Boy. They put in a brave attempt to knock the leaders from the top spot but had to settle for second with a clear in 20.87.

“It was a great result as this was our first time to compete outside Ireland,” said Anne-Marie. “Isla, who has been riding ‘Blue’ for just over a year, is a huge fan of Rachel’s so to be teamed up with her was fantastic and then to go so close to winning was absolutely brilliant. My husband Darren did the driving and we went via Dublin to Holyhead on the Friday.” On board the ferry, the McKintys met up with the McBrides, and others, which meant there were plenty present to celebrate the 10th birthday of Anne-Marie and Darren’s son, Joe.

Avoiding the long sea voyage as they flew over to London on the Saturday to support 11-year-old Isla and Blue on the Monday were Anne-Marie’s sister Gracie and their father John Bright, a former leading point-to-point rider in Northern Ireland.

The McBrides travelled across in two groups as well, mother Jane driving over the pony plus Rory, Lilly (11) and Mary (eight), the three family members who ride, on the Friday while father Seamus flew to London on the Sunday accompanied by the three non-riders – Katie (17), Max (13) and Mary’s twin brother Conor.