THE Irish Pony Club held their Mackey-sponsored national hunter trials championships at Ballycahane Equestrian last Saturday, four months after their scheduled date of March 11th, when ‘unprecedented rainfall’ in the area forced their postponement.

Despite a summer of intense competition, the fairly recent national eventing championships and a return to school for most members, the hunter trials proved extremely popular - although it was very disappointing that only two squads started in the senior teams of three. Back in 2016, when the championships were held at Annaharvey, the Laois Branch held off 10 other teams on their way to victory.

As it turned out on Saturday, the only team to complete, and thus be presented with the Owen Kehoe cup, was the Wexford Hunt Wise Women trio of Mia Kent on the 14-year-old grey mare Queenies Cornet, Eva Kent riding the 13-year-old Fiona’s Man gelding Broughlone Nelson and Ana Donovan with the home-bred Irish Sport Horse mare Redhouse April Perl, a nine-year-old bay by Quantino.

The Kildare Double Trouble duo of twin sisters Ellie and Katie Dillon, who were members of the IPC squad which competed in the International Tetrathlon Exchange in Australia in July, rounded off their exciting summer by winning the senior pairs’ championship for the Farrell family cup with the only clear round. Seven pairs started of whom two failed to complete.

The Dillons, who sat their Leaving this year, are now set to go their separate ways. Katie, who rode the 10-year-old ISH gelding Kiljames Pearse (Financial Reward - Clonaderig Ruler, by Gortlea Ruler), is to study veterinary medicine abroad, while Ellie, who partnered the 18-year-old ISH gelding OLS Inis Flaith (Templebready Fear Bui - New Line Lady, by Ballinvella), is first taking a year out to work as a skiing coach in Canada.

Riding Bob and Crafty Copper respectively, the Verling siblings Peter and Margaret, who were also on the trip to Australia, claimed second (5 faults, 5.28) for the West Waterford Branch, ahead of the aforementioned Kent sisters who finished third as Wexford Gold (5 faults, 6.09).

As longtime promoters of the use of thoroughbreds, particularly former track performers, in other equestrian sports, we were delighted to see the Killinicks’ Grace Day win the senior singles on Ask Jim (Germany - Native Pine, by Be My Native), the 15-year-old gelding with whom she has had so much success.

The bay ran unplaced in three point-to-point maidens and a maiden hurdle between October 2016 and the following July, after which he was retired.

Day and Ask Jim recorded the fastest (4.31) of nine clear rounds in the 21-runner class, where Megan Adams of the Laois Branch finished second on the 14-year-old ISH mare Olivers Girl (4.43), with whom she is heading to Lisgarvan tomorrow, ahead of the Muskerrys’ Emily Macken with the year-younger ISH gelding Kilbunny Kabana (4.45).