AN enhanced publicity campaign, particularly during the more recent qualifying period, resulted in a welcome increase in entries for last Sunday’s Mackey/Irish Pony Club show jumping Classic final at CoilÓg.

As is so often the case when it comes to older Branch members these days, only five contested the featured Classic 1.20m final, with its prize of two bursaries to the Army Equitation School’s McKee Barracks.

Two combinations got through to the jump-off in the Hornbeam Arena, where Daniel Bolger, a member of the Kilkenny Hunt Branch, again went clear to claim the top spot on his father Richard’s home-bred Irish Sport Horse mare Sallybog Willow (Silvano - Sallybog Sally, by Master Imp). Bolger and the nine-year-old bay competed in the 148cm classes at this year’s Gallagher Dublin Horse Show.

Starting a good three-day period for the Meaths (see Pony Tales on page 90), Ava Donnellan also bagged a bursary when second with eight faults on her mother Carmel’s ISH mare Larchill Katie D, an eight-year-old daughter of the thoroughbred stallion Dr Ewewhon. Having picked up two time penalties in the first round, Kildare’s Lucy Maughan finished third on the 12-year-old grey gelding Coppenagh Marley.

With four faults in the five-strong jump-off round, Bolger on Sallybog Willow had earlier finished third in the Classic Finder 1.10m, for which there were 22 entries. Here, the winner was the Islands’ Ollie Walsh, whose clear in 42.51 on Inchhill was good enough to hold off Kilkenny Branch member Lucille Byrne riding Blackrath Estella (44.75).

Jennifer ‘dazzles’

Just short of 20 combinations got through to the jump-off of the Classic 1m Starter where, with so many leaving the poles intact a second time, the clock proved all-important. Rathfarnham’s Jennifer Lawlor came out on top when clear in 34.44 on the eight-year-old grey mare Grantstown Dazzle, with her nearest rival being Wexford’s Brooke Sutton McGarry riding the 10-year-old appaloosa mare Castle Ellis Lil (35.93).

There were 19 first-round clears in the Classic 90cm, where Emma Tobin of the Wicklow Branch, stopped the clock in round two on 34.48 with the 19-year-old grey gelding Sir Blue Jake. She thus foiled an IPC double for Kildare’s Mia Webbon, who had to settle for second (35.30) with the 10-year-old ISH mare Ashwood Ramiro Diamond, on whom she had won her Junior arena at last month’s eventing championships in Tatts.

Jennifer Lawlor won the Classic 1m Starter, pictured with Helen O'Neill \ Rolf Stenberg jumpinaction.net

New class

Newly introduced this year, the Classic 80cm final, which attracted 57 entries, was staged in the Lime Arena, where 18 qualified for the jump-off round.

The comfortable winner was Rhys O’Brien McCarthy, a member of the Wexford Hunt Branch, who was clear in 28.19 with Clondaw Misty, an 11-year-old grey mare, who he also competes with SJI. Scott Doran, a member of the neighbouring Killinick Branch, finished second on the British-bred Rosegate Castles In The Sky (30.06), a nine-year-old skewbald gelding, with the Brays’ Maja Calhoun slotting into third on Lisphelim Black Beauty (32.28).

For the remainder of the day, the Lime Arena catered for warm-up, consolation and non-Classic classes.

“There was great help on the day from CoilÓg staff, judges, paramedics, ambulance crew and Pony Club volunteers and officials,” commented the IPC’s chairperson of show jumping, Helen O’Neill. “Everyone, even those who were unlucky not to be in the rosettes, seemed happy with the day.”