THEY may well compete at next Monday’s Area 17 home championships in eventing at Dirraw Farm but, no matter how they do there, the trio of Annabel McKeown, Tori Lilly and Maeve Rolston-McAuliffe will long remember 2025 following their Junior Girls’ team win at last weekend’s Defender Irish Pony Club Tetrathlon championships at Punchestown.

McKeown, a member of the Killultagh, Old Rock and Chichester Branch, completed on a total of 4,366 points, Lilly finished with 4,014 points to her credit while her Fermanagh Branch teammate Rolston-McAuliffe contributed 4,179 points to the trio’s overall winning tally of 12,559.

Both McKeown on Foyes Choice and Rolston-McAuliffe on board Clashadoo Jay were clear within the time across the country in the ride phase, as were 21 others.

Challenge cup

The Carew perpetual challenge cup for the highest-placed IPC Branch team was presented to the Co Limerick quartet of Martha Buckley (Deluxe Floyd Track Two), Grace Power (Tricklebrooks Macaron Man), Isabelle Kennedy (Filo Blueprint) and Kate Murphy (Strapping Silver) who finished second on 12,275. Three Griffiths – Aoife, Caitilin and Shannon - plus Freya Barry finished third as Killinick Green (12,131).

McKeown returned home with more prizes and rosettes as she was reserve in the individual championship behind Longford’s Evelyn Murray who, with the second best shoot, second best swim and a clear round on Tulira Fudge won the individual title on a total of 4,448.

With 4,345 points, Orla Kelly claimed the third spot on the podium ahead of her Carlow teammate Ali Hughes (4,332).

Best score

The best shooting score (900) was recorded by the Iveagh Branch’s Una McClelland (who placed fifth individually on 4,277), Galway Mid County’s Hannah Hussey was presented with the Lowe family perpetual cup for her performance in the pool – where she notched up an excellent score of 1,308 points – and Co Limerick’s Grace Power posted the best run score of 1,025 points.

Members may be sorry that the 2025 Irish Pony Club Tetrathlon season is at an end, but parents and guardians could well have a different view as it has been a long time since all hopefuls first gathered for training with the longlists for the various trips to Britain having been issued as far back as March.

John Flood, the IPC’s enthusiastic chair of Tetrathlon and Minimus, will be at Tattersalls Ireland this weekend for the Connolly’s Red Mills eventing championships, after which he may get some time to himself, for a bit of hunting, before it all builds up again for 2026.