CONGRATULATIONS to Emily Grimes and Keira Crowther who, on Saturday, became the first riders to qualify for the new Elementary level class being staged at the Irish Pony Club’s national dressage championships in CoilÓg on Tuesday, March 31st.

Performing the UK Pony Club Open Championships test 2018, the pair did so at the Dressage Ireland Eastern Region show in Marlton where List 1 judge Jane Whitaker awarded her winning score (70.94%) to Bray Branch member Grimes on the well-known Millridge Buchaill Bui. This 21-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding by Templebready Fear Bui represented Ireland at five European pony eventing championships under various members of the Nelson/Connors family.

Grimes and Millridge Buachaill Bui recorded some excellent results in 2025. In pure dressage, they won their Under 12s’ class at the IPC’s national dressage day at CoilOg in April and were members of the fifth-placed Bray quintet in the Equieire team competition at the IPC Festival at Barnadown in July. The following month, they were second in the Under 12s’ individual class at the Connolly’s Red Mills/IPC eventing championships at Tattersalls Ireland and won the season-long Foran Equine league at that level.

Keira Crowther comfortably recorded a qualifying score in second (66.09) with the 16-year-old appaloosa gelding Tomoka Spots.

Representing their branch and Area 4, the combination finished third in the Intermediate combined training championship at the Dublin Horse in early August and, shortly afterwards, won their arena (which helped them claim their Foran league) and were members of the successful Killinick squad in the Intermediate team championship at Tattersalls. They rounded off their season by finishing second of 25, on their dressage score, in the inaugural Pony Club Nations’ Cup CNC1* competition at Ballindenisk towards the end of September.

Disappointingly there were no entries at the North Munster Region qualifier in Clonshire on Sunday where there were no qualifiers from those who competed at Ballindenisk (South Munster Region) and Clifden (Midlands and Western Region) the previous weekend. The final three qualifiers take place at Sika Equestrian (South East Region) and Portmore (Northern Region) next Saturday and, the following day, at CoilÓg (Leinster Region).

This competition, which was established to encourage Pony Club members to compete at a level higher than Dressage Ireland Novice, was organised by the IPC’s Marie Hennessy in collaboration with Dressage Ireland. Marie has arranged for Anne-Marie Dunphy to provide training bursaries for the first and second-placed riders at the final.