THIS year’s JCB Pony Club championships got under way at Offchurch Bury, Warwickshire last Friday week when members of Area 17 (Northern Ireland) were mainly involved in the Tetrathlon competition.

In the team championships, Area 17 fared best at Intermediate level where the trio of Andrew Wishart (Iveagh), Emma Stewart (Killultagh, Old Rock and Chichester) and Beth Wishart (Iveagh) finished third on 11,438 points behind Area 3 (12,248) and Area 14 (11,698). In the Junior team championship, won by Area 14 (12,676), the Area 17 team who placed fifth (12,502) comprised Una McClelland (Iveagh), Annabel McKeown (Killultagh), Annabelle Clarke (Iveagh) and Annie Morrow (East Antrim).

McKeown won the Junior girls’ individual championship on a total of 4,520 points while Stewart topped the final standings in the Intermediate girls’ championship on 4,256. The Iveaghs’ Harry Purdy fared best of the boys individually when fifth in the Open championship. In the Junior girls’ Branch competition, the Fermanagh quartet of Emily Bothwell, Chloe Cathcart, Tori Lilly and Maeve Rolston-McAuliffe finished fourth.

The Route’s Sam Statts was a member of the Great Britain team who won the international mounted games competition on 64 points ahead of Australia (61) and New Zealand (46).

We will report on the dressage, eventing and show jumping championships next week. The Kildare Branch of the Irish Pony Club were among the starters in the dressage competition.