EMILY Marnane bagged two show titles on a mare owned by her mother Mel at last Thursday week’s Irish Pony Society Spring Show in the Mullingar Equestrian Centre with Sadhbh O’Connor having to settle for the reserve slot in both but on different ponies belonging to her mother Aoife.

Emily won the coloured and Intermediate championships with Semples Diamond Sparkle, an eight-year-old British-bred skewbald by Sempers Spirit. “We only have her a few weeks,” revealed Marnane senior. “We’ve wanted a coloured pony since the winter of 2022 but they are hard to find. She is out of a thoroughbred mare who traces back to Northern Dancer.

“It was great to have the opportunity to do a qualifier for the Royal International here in Ireland at the IPS Spring Show,” continued the Co Tipperary owner. “We hope to travel to Hickstead in July and, all going well, we might try her in a couple of HOYS qualifiers in England over the summer.”

In the coloured championship, the O’Connors finished reserve with Ashlea’s Grand Finale, a seven-year-old skewbald gelding by Co-Pilot out of a Courtway Viscount mare, while their reserve Intermediate champion was the Irish Sport Horse gelding Griffinstown, a six-year-old bay by Imperial Tiger out of an Allys Bridge mare.