THE Kildare Hunt Branch of the Irish Pony Club held their well-filled Connolly’s Red Mills eventing championships qualifier last Sunday at Punchestown where, on a day when everyone involved put in a huge effort to run a top-class event, there was one stand-out performance.
Take a bow Hogan Byrne, a member of the Kildare team who finished second at last year’s championships. The 13-year-old made his Pony Club Intermediate debut on Sunday and, wearing the No. 1 bib, recorded the only double clear inside the time in Section A to win on a score of 29.25 penalties.
His willing partner was his mother Amber’s wonderful servant AC Remus, the now 17-year-old Appaloosa gelding who has introduced many young riders to higher levels in eventing and on whom Byrne has been placed in all but one of his five EI100 (P) outings this season. It’s good to see riders mixing it been the IPC and EI. Lying second after dressage Section B, the Meaths’ Caoimhe Owens also recorded the only double clear inside the time to win with the 14-year-old gelding Luke Edge Cruiser (20.75).
Sadie Orton and Gowerhass Boy won the Junior A at the Kildare Pony Club ODE \ Mel Doyle
The show jumping phase caused plenty of problems at Intermediate level and in the two Intro Intermediate classes, which were both won by members of the Killinick Branch on ex-racehorses. Grace Day added four show jumping penalties to her leading dressage score in Section A to win on a total of 29.25 with the 14-year-old Germany gelding Ask Jim. Kate Jordan also had a pole down with Serene Ace but was left in front following her cross-country clear with the six-year-old Sandmason gelding (38).
The honours were well spread at Junior level. Thanks to being closer to the optimum time across the country, Bray’s Sadie Orton topped the final leaderboard in Section A riding the 20-year-old grey gelding Gowerhass Boy (29.5 penalties). Thanks to the dressage leader having a fence down show jumping, Shillelagh’s Sarah Ryan narrowly won Section B on her flat work mark with the Connemara gelding Ballinaguilkey Rocco (23.25), a seven-year-old grey by Murvey Rocco.Waterford’s Aerin Tabb was rewarded for bypassing Ballindenisk in favour of Punchestown when winning Section C on her dressage score with another Connemara gelding, Roadside Billy (30.5 penalties), a 15-year-old grey son of Knockillaree Tomás. Carlow’s Emily Flavin-Redmond added to her Foran Equine league points tally when partnering yet another Connemara gelding, Ballyerk Paulo, a seven-year-old Ballyerk JJ grey, to an all-the-way victory in Section D (25.5).
Sadie Orton and Gowerhass Boy won the Junior A at the Kildare Pony Club ODE \ Mel Doyle
The Kildare Branch brought up a double in Section A of the Under 12s’ class through Gemma Rose Walsh who, unlike those ahead of her after dressage, recorded a double clear on the 21-year-old grey gelding Hello Gooch (26.25). Also completing on the same score but having had a pole down show jumping and having been very fast across the country was Newcastle Lyons’s Millie Dalton with Jubilee.
The Ward Union’s Ailbhe Reilly, who is representing Ireland and the IPC in the mini home international Tetrathlon in Gloucestershire this weekend, left for England on the back of a win, on her first- phase score, in Section C with the Connemara gelding Garvagh Barney (30.25 penalties), a six-year-old son of Hocki.
Lucy Sayers, a member of the Tipperary Branch, held a commanding lead after dressage on Ping Pong (20.25) and managed to finish fourth despite picking up 12 show jumping penalties.