THERE has been much talk on the horse showing circuit this year of the drop in entries in youngstock classes, something that those in the pony ranks have faced for a long time.

Last Sunday, the organisers of the Irish Pony Society annual hunter pony show at Barnadown advertised just three in-hand classes with judges Marion Condren and Rachel Bennett Hamilton finding their champion in the first of these which was for yearlings, two and three-year-olds likely to make a show hunter pony.

There were five ponies forward with the final line-up being topped by Peter Byrne’s Irish Sports Pony gelding Wyndham By The Way who was shown by Annette Kinsella. Standing second was the Eileen Furlong-bred Thistletown Apollo, a two-year-old ISP by the Oldenburg stallion Castlefield Kingston out of Thistletown Olympia, by Olympic Lux.

Bred by Byrne and Kinsella at their Laurel Lodge Stud in Co Meath, the three-year-old Wyndham By The Way is by the Connemara stallion Tulira Daróg out of Wyndham Petite Fleur (by Kilvington Scoundrel). He is a member of the fifth generation of a line developed by Byrne which traces back to the grey mare Polly.

Kinsella was particularly pleased with Bennett Hamilton’s remarks about the champion. “She said that he catches the eye as soon as he enters the ring. She also thought he was a beautiful pony with perfect conformation and floating movement.”

Condren and Bennett Hamilton were the latest in a long list of judges impressed by the dun as he had been crowned in-hand champion the previous weekend at Royal Meath (where he also faced four rivals in his class). His numerous championship and class wins this season follow on from six championship successes from six outings last year.

Sunday’s reserve champion was Lorcan D’Arcy’s winner of the Mountain and Moorland youngstock class, the Connemara filly I’d Dare To Dream, a yearling by Eden de Garros out of I’d Say I’m Perfect (by Kingstown Cavalier).

The judges also assessed those forward in the Sea Warrior Sea Supplements novice working hunter section where their champion was the 153cm class winner JK Maneater who was ridden for his mother Lucy by Ned Kelly. This five-year-old ISH mare by Womanizer, who has done a small amount of registered show jumping, was bred in Co Laois by T.J. Phelan out of the Garrison Royal mare Rimilis Royal.

Clodagh Murphy stood reserve with the 133cm class winner, the 10-year-old brown mare Pogilicious who, too, has done a small amount of registered jumping.