THE Connolly’s Red Mills/Irish Pony Club National Eventing Championships were held last weekend at Tattersalls Ireland, where double points were on offer for the final leg of the Foran Equine League.

Fifteen qualifiers were held since mid-May, but only five of these catered specially for Open riders. The Laois Hunt Branch’s Megan Adams had a five-point lead heading to Tatts, where she held on to win on 31 points with the 14-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare Olivers Girl (by KMS Romeo). That despite finishing second to Wicklow’s Sorcha Vickers, the league runner-up on Interface (28) who was well clear of the Duhallows’ Victoria Roche with Glenorma Andy (15).

The Killinicks’ Kate Jordan was eliminated across the country on Saturday with Serene Ace, but had enough points in hand to comfortably claim the Intermediate league (31) in addition to the Treo Eile league. Thanks to winning three legs prior to the final, Co Clare’s Grace Murphy took second with KEC Arctic Maxi, despite finishing with the same number of points (23) as Carlow’s Alannah Bailey riding Kilpatrick Sparkle.

The weekend’s results had their effect on the Intro-Intermediate league, where Tipperary’s Emily Gleeson jumped up from joint-fourth to first with the Connemara gelding Illaunurra Lusca (30), a seven-year-old bay son of Ross Fear on whom she won a section at Tatts. She had just a single point to spare over Kilkenny’s Anna Ryle, who took second on Artic Star ahead of Wicklow’s Hannah Breen on Moanbaun Mozart (29). Kilkenny’s Maebh Hearne dropped down from first to fourth with Comeraghs Marko (25).

League placings

With five Junior arenas at the Championships, there was every chance of an upset to the league placings but Freya Barry recorded another win for the Killinicks when holding on at the top of the final leaderboard on 50 points with the 15-year-old ISH mare The Causey Girl (by Rebel Mountain). Thanks to her win on Sunday, Bray’s Emily Grimes secured the runner-up spot on Millridge Buachaill Bui (48), ahead of Tipperary’s Lucy Meagher with Foleys Marl 16 (42).

Neither the Islands’ Georgia Kelly with the Connemara mare Doireánn, an eight-year-old grey/roan by Rebel Mick, nor the Killinicks’ Ben Murphy on Knocknacullen Bruno finished in the placings on Sunday, but maintained their positions at the top of the Intro Junior league on 34 and 32 points respectively. Saibh Prenderville, one of the many representatives of The Kingdom Branch who travelled up from Co Kerry to compete at the Championships, moved up a place to finish third in the league with Sunny Girl (26).

There were some slight changes to the Under 12s’ league following the weekend’s action, but no one managed to knock Newcastle Lyons’s Zara Groves from the top spot as she completed her season on 34 points with the 21-year-old piebald gelding Kelly’s Young Hero.

The Kingdoms’ Hollie O’Driscoll moved up from fourth to second with Abbeyland Oscar (32), with Molly Jean Clarke, who was a member of the winning North Kilkenny team, dropping down a place to third with Taylors Dicey Riley (31).