THE Connolly’s Red Mills/Irish Pony Club national eventing championships, which take place next weekend (August 22nd and 23rd) at Tattersalls Ireland, have attracted 484 entries across six levels of competition including 10 from Area 17 of The Pony Club (Northern Ireland).

As 440 stables have been booked, along with 50 hook-ups, we imagine parents/guardians will be under pressure to travel to the venue early on Friday. The gates will open at 10am, but no horse or pony will be allowed into the barns until their valid passports have been checked for up-to-date and fully-compliant vaccinations.

Tests

Having ridden their tests in one of the 14 dressage arenas in use on Saturday, those in competing at Open and Intermediate level will tackle the cross-country course, while the others go show jumping. On Sunday, those competing in the higher-graded championships will finish with their show jumping phase, while their counterparts head for the cross-country tracks.

The prizegiving will, as usual, take place in the sales ring late on Sunday afternoon when, in addition to presentations to the championships’ team and individual prize winners, there will be presentations to those at the top of the six Foran leagues and to those who competed thoroughbred horses who are registered with Treo Eile and won or were placed during the season.