THE latest in this year’s series of Irish Pony Club/Connolly’s Red Mills eventing championships qualifiers was staged by the Carlow Branch at Lisgarvan House, Ballon last Sunday where the rain held off for most of the day.

“We were very pleased with the entry,” commented Sandra Corrigan one of the host Branch’s joint-District Commissioners. “We also had an army of volunteers, from our own club and beyond, who ensured the day ran smoothly and on time.

“Michael Doyle built two very inviting show jumping courses while Clive Corrigan (no relation) designed a testing cross-country track which was fair, extremely well-built and beautifully-presented. The ground was very good.”

There was a great start to the day for the Duhallows whose Victoria Roche landed Section A of the Intermediate on her dressage score (29.25 penalties). Roche and her 17-year-old grey gelding Glenomra Andy recorded one of just four show jumping clears in this 14-runner class.

There were also 14 starters in Section B but here half the field were clear over the coloured poles. The impressive all-the-way winner was the Killinick Branch’s Keira Crowther who completed with the only sub-30 penalty score on the 15-year-old Appaloosa gelding Tomoka Spots (26).

The Killinicks brought up a double in Section B of the Intro Intermediate where Grace Day completed on her dressage score with the thoroughbred gelding Ask Jim (30.5), a 15-year-old bay son of German. They were left in front when the first-phase winners on 29 penalties, Sadhbh Bates with Miss Intrigo of Bray, were one of eight combinations who failed to complete in this 15-runner class.

Four of the 15 starters also failed to finish in Section A where four others had problems in jumping across the country. As this second group included two of her nearest rivals, the South Union’s Rian Tagney ran out a comfortable winner on her flat work mark with FVS Jester Million (25.5 penalties), a nine-year-old tri-coloured gelding registered with the Anglo European Studbook.

Grace Day (Killinicks) and Ask Jim, who won Section B of the Intro Intermediate class at the IPC/Connolly’s Red Mills eventing championships qualifiers hosted by the Carlow Branch \ Mel Doyle

Carlow, the host Branch, struck in Section B of the Junior class where Emily Flavin-Redmond completed on her dressage score with the Connemara gelding Ballyerk Paulo (25.25), a seven-year-old grey by Ballybeg J.J. In joint-first after dressage, Wicklow’s Laragh Louise Molloy was left out in front in Section A where she recorded a double clear on board the 16-year-old grey mare HB Miss Kizzy (20 penalties).

Two members of the Ward Union Branch finished first and second in Section C, the consistent Lillian Ward and the Connemara gelding Killea Peril (27 penalties), a 10-year-old Killea Island bay, narrowly seeing off their teammates Emily Keogh and Lola (27.75). Riding the 16-year-old grey gelding Sandy Banks, the Offaly Branch’s Saoirse Carty topped the final leaderboard in Section D on 22.5 penalties.

The Kildares’ Nia Webbon recorded an all-the-way win in Section A of the Under 12s’ competition with Bobbyjo (25.5 penalties) and it was a similar story in Section B where Anna Kennedy of the Tipperary Branch led from start to finish on the 17-year-old Gloves Bobby gelding Savanose Bobby (19).

As the Irish Pony Club Agria National Minimus Championships are taking place this weekend, there is no eventing qualifier in any of the organisation’s nine Areas. However, to make up for that cessation, there are two next Sunday, June 22nd when the Carbery and United Branches are running at Ballindenisk Equestrian Park and the Kildare Branch is staging a qualifier at Punchestown racecourse.

There are RDS mounted games qualifiers taking place next Saturday at Gorey Show while, the following day, Area 4 are holding their Festival show jumping qualifier at Wexford Equestrian.