A LARGE contingent of Irish Pony Club members, and nine from Branches in Area 17 of The Pony Club, travelled over to Moreton Morrell in Warwickshire last week for the Junior home international and regional Tetrathlon championships.

Everyone competed just the once but, while all scores counted in the regional competitions, four selected members’ scores were specified for international honours and here, Ireland (who were supported by Plusvital), came out on top in both the girls’ and boys’ divisions.

As they faced three rivals, we’ll start with the girls quartet of Ali Hughes (Carlow), Aoibhinn Turner (Duhallow), the individual winner Anna Rose Hughes (Kilkenny), Evelyn Murray (Longford) and Hannah Hussey (Galway Mid County) who, with a discard score, topped the standings on 17,228 points.

England came second with 17,066 points to their credit while Northern Ireland’s Annabel McKeown (Killultagh, Old Rock & Chichester), Una McClelland (Iveagh), Tori Lilly (Fermangh), Maeve Roulston-McAuliffe (Fermangh) and Annabelle Clarke (Iveagh) finished third on 16,911 ahead of Wales (15,180).

Northern Ireland didn’t field a team in the boys’ international championship which Ireland won on a total of 17,573 points. England were second again here on 17,446 with Wales & Borders placing third on 17,274. The successful Ireland team comprised Patrick O’Callaghan (Tipperary), JJ Power (Co Limerick) who was best of the Irish boys in fourth, Jack Landy (Tipperary), Alex Barry (Co Limerick) and Cillian Tobin (Carlow).

In the highly-competitive regional Tetrathlon, the IPC did best in the girls’ competition. Seventeen teams started and the four from this side of the Irish Sea finished in the first six.

Claiming the honours on a total of 17,136 were the Ireland White quintet of North Kilkenny’s Elizabeth Cooke, winner recently of the open working hunter pony championship at Balmoral Show, Aoibhinn Turner, Anna Rose Hughes, Evelyn Murray and Hannah Hussey.

Ireland Green finished second on 17,078, Northern Ireland were fourth (16,911) and Ireland Gold slotted into sixth on 16,441.

There were 98 starters individually with pride of place going to Neve Webber of the Eggesford Hunt Branch in England who amassed 4,367 points. Anna Rose Hughes was narrowly beaten into second on 4,363 while other Irish to finish 10th or better were Co Limerick’s Martha Buckley (fifth on 4,328), Ali Hughes (sixth on 4,328), Una McClelland (10th on 4,294).

Eight teams battled it out for honours in the boys’ regional competition where the Ireland Green team, aka the Ireland international team, had to settle for second on 17,573.

They finished sandwiched between the Southern T’Birds (17,731) and Wales and Borders Dragon (17,274). The Ireland Gold team of Max Doran (Killinick), Tom Hickey (Wexford), Jack Hargaden (Carlow), John Kirby (Co Limerick) and Darragh O’Brien (Carlow) finished sixth (16,180).

Led by Alfie Allan of the East Kent Branch (4,446 points), British riders filled the top four individual places individually followed in joint fifth on 4,410 points by J.J. Power and Cillian Tobin. Patrick O’Callaghan closed out the top 10 for Ireland on 4,380.

“I was very happy with the results,” commented the IPC’s head of Minimus and Tetratlon, John Flood. “As regards the regional results, I think our boys could have done with a tougher ride track but, I have to say, that was a very strong Southern team that they came upon against.”