LAST Sunday, the Carlow Hunt Branch of the Irish Pony Club hosted the first triathlon/biathlon qualifier of 2026, initially welcoming swimmers to the pool in Graiguecullen and then moving on to Carlow Hurling Club for the shoot and run phases.

As is the norm, the total of girls competing outnumbered the boys - although the difference wasn’t so great at Senior level. North Kilkenny’s Sean Cooke, who topped the swim and run scores, amassed 2,721 points when seeing off four rivals to win the boys’ class. The Islands’ John Asple James, who won the shoot, finished second on 2,609.

There were nine starters in the Senior girls’ competition, where the Leitrim Branch’s Quinn sisters, Grace and Emily, more or less dominated throughout. The former, who claimed the overall honours with 2,908 points, won both the swim and run phases, ahead of her sister who completed on 2,878. Emily won the shoot where Grace placed third behind North Kilkenny’s Mia Perry.

Showing remarkable consistency across the three disciplines, the Wexford Branch claimed the first two places in the Junior boys’ qualifier, where Blake Kavanagh, on a total of 2,977, had just a single point to spare over Luca Kinsella! The latter topped the run scores ahead of Kavanagh, while the host Branch’s Jack Hargaden won the swim and the Meaths’ Kieran Dunne won the shoot.

Hannah Hussey of Galway Mid County saw off 40 rivals to win the Junior girls’ competition, where her total of 3,216 points included the winning swim score. Overall, Carlow’s Ali Hughes finished second on 3,127 with Anna Rose Hughes of the Kilkenny Branch slotting into third on 3,045. The Golden Vales’ Róisín Maher proved best in the shoot phase, with Waterford’s Orlaith Frisby claiming the honours in the run.

Archie McCartan, the reigning IPC individual boys’ minimus champion, who was also a member of the winning Co Limerick Stars’ team last June, showed himself in fine fettle on Sunday by topping both the swim and run scores in the two-phase Minimus boys’ qualifier for a winning total of 2,386. The Islands’ Tadhg Murphy finished second (2,140), while the same Branch’s Luke Murphy actually shared top spot in the run with McCartan.

There were 27 starters in that class and 52 in the girls’ equivalent, where Molly Jean Clarke (2,238) and Lucy O’Connell (2,044) finished first and second for North Kilkenny, with the Scarteens’ Beau Bourke placing third (2,022). Clarke won the swim and, on the same score as Bourke, finished second in the run to O’Connell.

The wins at Fledging level went to two members of Area 7. In the 10-runner boys’ class, the honours were claimed by the Meath Branch’s Luke Murray (1,246), ahead of the Tipperarys’ Louis Stokes (1,226). In the girls’ division, the Ward Union’s Maggie Cooke scored 1,612 points to comfortably see off 15 rivals, the closest of whom was Carlow’s Emily Brennan (1,334).

The Co Clare Branch is hosting the second qualifier tomorrow at the Active Leisure Centre in Ennis and then at Ennis Showgrounds, while the Wexford Branch will be running the third qualifier in New Ross on Sunday, March 1st when the first phase will take place at the Apex Swimming Pool and the shoot and run phases at Kennedy College.

Home nations’ international

MEMBERS of Pony Club Branches throughout Ireland, who are keen on dressage, are setting their sights on selection for the home nations’ international at Open, Intermediate and Novice level on the Friday of the Royal Windsor Horse Show (Thursday, May 14th to Sunday, May 17th).

In Area 17 of The Pony Club, where they are choosing a team to represent Northern Ireland, their chef d’equipe and selector is FEI judge Joanne Jarden, who has already had a chance to view most of the candidates in action at the first trials day earlier this month. There will be further opportunities for members to prove themselves in front of Jarden before she makes her final selection for the five-rider team.

The Dressage and Combined Training Committee of the Irish Pony Club, who are busy organising the IPC/Equieire national dressage championships at CoilÓg on Tuesday, March 31st, have invited those interested in representing the Republic of Ireland at the home international to submit videos of themselves riding their intended mount at the appropriate level.