THE Banner Equestrian Centre was the venue for Saturday’s second qualifying round in this year’s Irish Pony Society Sports Pony Challenge, where the judging duties fell to Marian Slattery and Maire Quinlan Pluck (dressage), Tony Ennis (performance hunter) and Simone Barry (show jumping).
The best-filled class of the day was the 13-runner Starter Stakes which was comfortably won, on a total of 285 points, by Abbey Cassidy, a member of the Bray Hunt Branch of the Irish Pony Club, on board her mother Catherine’s Darkly Julie, winners of both the performance hunter and show jumping phases.
The Co Wicklow combination finished fourth on 67.75% in the dressage arena, where the top score (69) was awarded to Co Meath’s Nancy Caffrey with her mother Mary’s 19-year-old gelding Bowmount Rusty, who placed second overall on 260. The third qualifying ticket went to Clara O’Donnell, who amassed 245 points across the three phases with Springdale Sportstar, a 20-year-old gelding by Moorhall Miniature.
The previous weekend, Cassidy and the 12-year-old dun mare Darkly Julie were crowned champions in the working hunter ring at the IPS Western Area Spring Show in Duffy’s Equestrian. Standing reserve that day was Sophie Cusack and her mother Oorla’s 10-year-old Connemara gelding Clareville Codiac (Caherlistrane Bay - Tegan, by Slisneoir) who, on Sunday, having topped the leaderboards in all three phases, won the 153cm class on the maximum total of 300 points.
Qualifying in second on 270, having placed third in all three phases, was Morgan Leahy riding the eight-year-old Connemara gelding Eitherard Lad (Caherlistrane Bay - Eitherard Lady, by Bell Spailpín Fánach). Katie Meany slotted into third (265) with her father Brendan’s seven-year-old dun Irish Sports Pony gelding My Gurranes Amigo (Kippure Mo Cuisle - Carbery Dixie, by Woodfield Sammy).
Honours
There were nine starters in the 143cm class where, having been fifth after dressage, Aoife Brennan won both jumping phases to complete and win on 280 points with the 10-year-old gelding Captain Bailey. Qualifying in second on 267.5 were the dressage phase winners, Louisa Dalton with Jane Hancock’s 23-year-old brown gelding Monarch Of The Glen, and, in third on 252.5, Ellie O’Donnell riding her mother Patricia’s 16-year-old bay gelding Ballyhone Toby.
Dalton claimed the honours on 295 points in the 133cm class with the 21-year-old British-bred gelding Frosthill Jackaroo (Twyford Jorrocks - Antica, by Greenbank Harlequin), winner of both the dressage and show jumping phases.
Following one withdrawal, there were only three starters in this class and just one other finisher on 280 points, the Ruth Cregan-partnered performance hunter phase winner, the seven-year-old dun gelding Carrigreen Frankie.
There were five starters in the Connemara class over the 90cm track, where the qualifying tickets were awarded in first (290 points) to Grace O’Rorke with her mother Christine’s eight-year-old gelding Foleys Marl 18 (Glanna MÓr - Foley’s Marlhill, by Curraghakeen Cashel), in second (280 with the higher performance hunter score) to Lara Field with her mother Marjorie Hardiman’s home-bred Creganna Kerfuffle, an 11-year-old grey mare by Silver Shadow, and in third (280) to Roisin Casey on the Oscar Liath six-year-old Oorid Alfie.
The only finishers in the Connemara class over the 1m track, were Sarah Maguire with Star.
The winners of the five-strong novice class were Lily Rogan-Mills with the five-year-old Connemara gelding Hillcrest Moonshadow (Silver Shadow - Laragh Swallow, by Tulira Robuck).
The third and last qualifier takes place on Easter Tuesday, April 7th, at Killossery Lodge Stud with the final scheduled for Sunday, April 26th at Boswell Equestrian Centre.