FAITH Ponsonby was guest of honour at the well-attended Irish Pony Society Tipperary Area awards night which was held on Friday, November 28th in Hayes Hotel, Thurles.

A presentation was made to Faith, who, along with her late husband Peter, has been a staunch supporter of the Area for the past 40 years, hosting the annual show for much of that time. She then presented cups and rosettes to all the award winners.

For the second year in-a-row, the Pony of the Year title was won by Goldengrove Maydream while the rider of the year award was again presented to Imogen Lawless Greene. The Ballylanigan award, which is presented to the Tipperary Area member who earns the most points at the annual Area show, was won by Emma Walsh.

Ridden by Zoe Thompson, Goldengrove Maydream is a 12-year-old Welsh Section B mare by Holyoake Czar out of Merryment Maytime, by Rotherwood Prince Regent.

The bay was bred in Co Tipperary by sisters Claire Scott and Sarah Rymer who were both present on the night as owner/breeders of other Goldengrove ponies such as the champion part-bred, the 18-year-old mare Goldengrove Juliet (Holyoake Czar – Golden Grove Petals, by Ceylan Lord Luke).

Goldengrove Maydream’s owner, and Zoe’s mother, is Area secretary Lorraine Thompson whose Killusty Crafts supplied the wonderful rosettes for the awards ceremony. Zoe was also presented with the young handlers’ award, the Mountain and Moorland award and the Equitation ridden award; she was runner-up in two other championships.

Show hunter champion

Imogen Lawless Greene enjoyed an excellent 2025 showing season with three ponies. These were the Area show hunter champion Moonlite Gone With The Wind (Dolrhedyn Casino – Moonlite Miss), a home- bred five-year-old; the Area show pony champion Harwent Moonraker (Dolphin Superstar – Holltess Little Sweet Melody, by Gerdan), a 14-year-old British-bred gelding; and the Area Intermediate champion Moonlite Madam Hilda, a four-year-old bay mare with no recorded breeding.

Emma Walsh amassed her Ballylanigan award-winning points at the annual show – held this year at the Tipperary Equestrian Centre on Sunday, August 31st – on board her two grey Connemara geldings Emlaughmore Mistro and Skellorn Super Ted.

The first of the pair, a five-year-old by Dunloughan Troy, was bred in Co Galway by Bartley Conroy out of the Callowfeenish Grey mare Emlaughmore Girl. The eight-year-old Skellorn Super Ted, who was bred in England by Kerry Wainwright, is by Skellorn Monarch out of Kieta, by Ruaille Buaille Bui.

The novice Rosscon Koka, who finished reserve to Goldengrove Maydream in the Mountain and Moorland championship, claimed the Connemara title. Ridden by Eva Gunn for her mother Tessa, and bred in Co Roscommon by the recently deceased P.J. Watson, the five-year-old gelding by Too Much Melody is out of the Coosheen Stormboy mare Omey Aurora.

Mini brigade

Among the mini brigade, the first ridden show hunter and the working hunter cradle stakes championships were won by the 15-year-old Welsh gelding Rhydyfelin Count Down (Winneydene Gwyn-Emrys – Rhydyfelin Satin Lace, by Bengad Rush).

The 118cms roan was ridden by Clara O’Donnell whose sister Judy won the starter stakes championship with the working hunter Cluainin Spring Johnson (Robe Johnson – Spring Rose Marie, by Thunderball).

This 128 Connemara mare and Rhydyfelin Count Down are owned by the young riders’ mother, Trish.

Ellie O’Donnell narrowly failed to complete a family championship treble when she and the 15-year-old bay gelding Ballyhone Toby, winners at 90cms, 1m and 1.10m levels, had to settle for the reserve slot in the performance jumping division. The title went to the 60cms level winner, the Jamie Doyle-ridden Summertime Merry Berry.

Ballyhone Toby (143cms) and the above-mentioned Moonlite Gone With The Wind (novice and 153cms) were in contention for the Area working hunter pony title but that went to Tullohea Tic Toc (133cms), the 13-year-old piebald gelding who is ridden for Anabel Hillman by Chloe Doyle.