SEVEN-year-old Dulcee Morrison and the year-older Cosford Wishes Vow enjoyed a very successful first season together throughout 2026 and go into winter quarters on a high having won the overall supreme championship at last weekend’s Irish Pony Society National Championships in Mullingar.

The organisers reverted to a two-day format for this year’s championship with a schedule of around 130 classes. Disappointingly, there was a small entry but this wasn’t entirely surprising as championships came right after the Gallagher Dublin Horse Show and right before the four-day Connemara Pony Show in Clifden which concluded yesterday, this weekend’s Connolly’s Red Mills/Irish Pony Club National Eventing Championships at Tattersalls Ireland and next week’s British Show Pony Society’s Summer Championships Show in Grantham.

Those who attended of course very much enjoyed themselves, particularly Morrison who was attending the championship for the first time. She and the British-bred Welsh mare were led by their trainer Aoife Murphy to win their open Mountain & Moorland lead-rein class, the Greenacres Stud open Mountain & Moorland mini championship and the mini supreme championship en route to the overall title.

“This was our first time to attend the championships and we really enjoyed it,” commented Dulcee’s very proud father Gary McMenamin who has been put in charge of turn-out. “We were advised that riding would be good therapy for Dulcee and she absolutely loves it, as she does swimming. This is all very, very new to us as we never had anything to do with horses and ponies before.

“We leased the pony from England and every day is a learning day. We decided that we would end the season at Mullingar and not go to Grantham this year. Dulcee competed in her first beginner first ridden class at the championships. She finished fourth and I have to tell you that gave me the biggest thrill of the whole season.”