ON a beautiful day, the Laois Hunt Branch of the Irish Pony Club held their 2026 Fun Minimus and Tetrathlon last Sunday, when most of the action unfolded at the equally beautiful venue of Stradbally Hall.

With national exams on the horizon for many, it wasn’t surprising that there was a small entry of just five for both Senior competitions. Sean Maher, who was one of two to go clear in the ride phase, won the Boys’ class for Golden Vale on 3,950 points, while Kayleigh Hoban struck for North Kilkenny in the Girls’ competition. She held on to her full 1,400 ride points for a total of 3,456, but three of her four rivals were eliminated on that phase while one didn’t start.

There were eight clears in the ride phase of the 16-runner Junior Boys’ competition, which was won by Co Limerick’s Henry Buckley on a total of 4,415. In the equivalent class for Girls, the honours went to the Duhallows’ Olivia Roche, who posted a total of 4,352. Roche was one of nine in the 27-runner class to go clear in the ride.

While well off the numbers in the Girls’ class, there was a good entry of 36 for the Boys’ Minimus, where Ben Long provided the Tipperary Branch with the first leg of a double on a score of 3,682. In the 62-runner Girls’ competition, the North Kilkenny Branch landed the middle leg of a treble, thanks to the efforts of Molly Jean Clarke who completed on 3,798.

The host Branch, the Laois, fared best in the Fledgling Boys’ class where, on a score of 2,184, Alfie Mahon finished fifth of 10 behind North Kilkenny’s treble achieving member Tom Murphy (2,806). Avril Landy topped the scores on 3,110 in the 19-runner Girls’ class to bring up a double for Tipperary.