THE Co Galway mother and daughter team of Imelda and Nicole O’Shaughnessy began their Easter weekend with victory in the starter stakes championship at last Thursday week’s Irish Pony Society Spring Show at the Fagan family’s Mullingar Equestrian Centre.

While also picking up a mini Mountain and Moorland ridden sash with Carwgwyn Finality, Nicole’s big win came on the 19-year-old Knockseagh Prince gelding Glandrine Pied Piper who was bred in Co Cork by Jimmy O’Regan out of Drinagh Molissa.

He was also first produced in the Rebel country by William and Aidan Williamson before being sold into Co Galway where Marjorie Hardiman spotted the bay at a Pony Club rally.

New addition

“Marjorie’s daughter Jane Field had great success on the pony both here and across the water and, when she outgrew him, he was sold into the UK where, among his many victories, he won the workers at the Royal International,” said Imelda when providing us with a brief resume of the pony’s career.

“We asked the owners to keep us in mind if they ever wanted to sell him and they called us in February when they said they would sell him to us for Nicole. He competes on the flat and over jumps.”

The reserve starter stakes champion was the Trish O’Donnell-owned, Judy O’Donnell-ridden Welsh gelding Tawfys Flying Hawk, a 19-year-old skewbald by Moelview Mohawk.