THE Wexford Branch held the second of the season’s Connolly’s Red Mills/Irish Pony Club eventing qualifiers last Sunday at The Kennels, Moorefields, by kind permission of the Wexford Hunt.

Starting at 8am, there were seven dressage arenas in operation, while the show jumping phase was held in two grass arenas. The cross-country commenced at 12.37, which was only seven minutes late. This was a testament to the organisational skills of the hosts and the assistance they received from their army of volunteers and the neighbouring Killinick Branch.

On a day when female members won all nine classes, the Carlow Branch landed the highest-graded competition, the 16-runner Intermediate, thanks to Alannah Bailey. She completed on her dressage score (29 penalties) with the seven-year-old Connemara gelding Kilpatrick Sparkle, on whom she has been placed in all three of her EI100 (J) starts.

The Intro Intermediate was divided with the honours in the first half going to North Kilkenny’s Leah Dooley, who finished on her first phase score (30.25) with the 20-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare Emly Rose. In Section B, where she completed on her joint-winning dressage score (31.5), Anna Ryle struck for the Kilkenny Branch with the seven-year-old grey mare Artic Star.

All-the-way success

The Junior qualifier was split three ways. Newcastle Lyons’s Lucy Flynn recorded a comfortable all-the-way success in Section A on the 12-year-old bay gelding Rock Houdini (24.75); the Killinicks’ Freya Barry likewise led from start to finish, as she took the win narrowly in Section B on board the 15-year-old ISH mare The Causey Girl (24); and Sarah Finn gave the hosts something to cheer about when winning Section C on her flat work mark with the seven-year-old Connemara gelding Srúthan Prince (25).

There was just one Intro Junior class, where Georgia Kelly topped the final leaderboard with the eight-year-old Connemara mare Doireánn (27.5).

The North Kilkenny Branch brought up a double in Section A of the Under 12s’ class through Sarah Eardly, who led from start to finish on the 16-year-old Connemara mare OMS Lady Equire (20.75) and the Killinicks did likewise when Orlaith McDermott completed on her dressage score in Section B with Trikolor (32).

We liked the comment of event organiser Edel Nolan: “The sun split the Wexford trees on the day, with many competitors leaving the venue looking like the famous Wexford strawberries!”