THE final of the Mackey Equestrian Irish Pony Club show jumping Classic was held last Sunday at CoilÓg where two rings were in use all day.

While most qualifiers for the Classic Finder (1.10m) and the Classic (1.20m) took place at area fixtures throughout the country over the summer months, a final one at both levels was staged at CoilÓg last Sunday morning. The winner and second in these were to win and finish runner-up in the afternoon’s Classic.

Claiming the honours was Laois Branch member Holly Gee riding the Irish Sport Horse mare KLS Bumble who she competes at 1.20m level with Showjumping Ireland. The seven-year-old by Tangelo van de Zuuthoeve is owned by the rider’s father Bryan, who bred the chesnut out of the Crown Z mare Crowning Glory Z. This is the family of Royal Concorde (CSI4*).

Gee won a bursary to McKee Barracks, as did Lucy Maughan who finished second with her father Fergus’s Coppenagh Marley, an 11-year-old grey gelding with no recorded pedigree. Representing the North Tipperary and Ormond Branch on Star Of Apollo, with whom she finished third, was Katelyn Doughan who won a McKee bursary last year and is about to start studying veterinary nursing in Athlone.

Highest-placed

Treo Eile sponsored prizes for the highest-placed thoroughbred in the Classic (which was won by the elsewhere-mentioned Phonsie Wardell on Whydah) and in the Classic Finder. That second Treo Eile prize was awarded to Rachel Foley of the Laois Branch, who rode her mother Rachel’s 13-year-old Milan mare Allez Amour, who she also competes with Eventing Ireland.

Mia O’Donnell of the West Waterford Branch won the Classic 90 on board her mother Eleanor’s Grade A performer Kinlough Lad, an 11-year-old bay gelding with no recorded pedigree. Carbery’s Elaine Whelton topped the final standings in the Classic Starter with her mother Siobhan’s B.E.C. Fanta, a 16-year-old bay gelding with no recorded pedigree on whom she also competes with SJI.

Consolation classes

The Duhallow Branch struck in the Classic Finder thanks to the efforts of Maeve Flynn on her father Derek’s Orza SC, a Spanish Sport Horse (CDE, Caballo de Deporte Español) mare by Roccossifred, who she competes with both EI and SJI. The consolation classes, which were run as two-phase specials, were won by Wexford’s Brooke Sutton McGarry riding Castle Ellis Lil (1m) and West Waterford’s Clodagh Dunne riding Courtown Moora’s Girl.

“It was great to see the spread of clubs featuring in the top six in the finals,” commented the IPC’s chairperson of show jumping, Helen O’Neill.

“There were representatives from clubs from nearly all areas of Ireland from the Kingdom up to Monaghan and all places in between. Chris Byrne from CoilÓg and his team built excellent tracks with course changes between each class.”