THE Island Hunt Branch of the Irish Pony Club held one of the last qualifiers for this year’s Connolly’s Red Mills eventing championships last Sunday at Frankfort Stud where, having the stage to themselves, they attracted a large entry including 13 combinations for the Open.

This was won narrowly by Carbery’s Lucy O’Connor who had a fence down show jumping with the traditionally-bred Irish Sport Horse gelding Rowanhill Luka Chan (32.75 penalties) while the United Branch’s Isabel Fitzgerald completed on her first-phase score with OLS Pixie Hollow (33). O’Connor and Rowanhill Luka Chan, a 12-year-old Luke Skywalker grey, have qualified for the members’ combined training competition at next week’s Dublin Horse Show.

Wicklow member Sorcha Vickers recorded a runaway victory in Section A of the Intermediate where she completed on her very impressive dressage score (15.75) with the 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Interface. In Section B, a pole down show jumping proved costly for Aoife Haines on the dressage winner, Kilmartin Philip, as she had to settle for second (30.75) behind fellow Bray member Beth Dooley who completed on her flat work mark (29.50) with Dignified Fiasco, a 21-year-old ISH gelding by Star Cruise.

The Intro class was also divided with the honours in Section A going narrowly to Carlow’s Niamh Tobin riding the ISH mare Broomfield Banner (30.25), a 14-year-old grey daughter of Silver Banner, while Longford’s Emma Kenny had little more in hand when leading from start to finish in Section B on board the 11-year-old grey gelding Ruby Menlo Kelly’s Boy (24.5).

The Junior class was split three ways with Section A standing out as it was the only one on the day won by a male rider, Gearóid Farrell, who struck for the Kilkenny Branch when completing on his dressage score (29.25) with the Connemara gelding Highwood Oak of Shanbo (29.25), a 14-year-old dun by Illaunurra Cathal.

The day’s hosts, the Island Branch were rewarded for all their hard work when Freya Fitzgerald led from start to finish in Section B on board Aille Sinoia Scooby (25), while their neighbours, the Killinicks, also got on the score sheet when Hazel Slattery comfortably won Section C with the Connemara gelding Kingscross Mayfly (22), a 10-year-old bay by My Blessington Mayfly Tomboy.

The Brays brought up a double in Section A of the Under 12s’ competition where the much-envied Emily Grimes completed on her dressage score (22) with the hugely-experienced ISH gelding Millridge Buachaill Bui, a 20-year-old son of Templebready Fear Bui, while Maria Fleming Hand struck for the Carbery Branch in Section B on board the 128cm Welsh mare Lady Dawn Winser (21.25), a 17-year-old grey by Barrera Duke of Windsor.

The Shillelagh Branch is hosting the penultimate Red Mills qualifier today at the Tinahely Riding Club grounds in Coolboy with Area 5 staging the final leg on Bank Holiday Monday at Ballindenisk. At this stage, the Foran leagues are headed by Co Limerick’s Ben Buckley with the Dublin-bound Tullabeg Flamenco (Open), Killinick’s Keira Crowther with the Dublin-bound Tomoka Spots (Intermediate), the same Branch’s Grace Day and the thoroughbred Ask Jim (Intro Intermediate), Carlow’s Emily Flavin Redmond with the Dublin-bound Ballyerk Paulo (Junior) and Tipperary’s Anna Kennedy with Savanose (Under 12s).