THE Irish Pony Club’s 2026 Fun Minimus/Tetrathlon circuit moved on to Punchestown last Sunday, when the Kildare Branch welcomed a large crowd to the Co Kildare racecourse.

Saying that, there was a disappointing entry of just four for the Senior Boys’ competition where the overall honours went to the Golden Vale’s Sean Maher who, having finished third in the pool, went on to win the shoot, finish second in the run and then held on to his full ride points for a total of 3,869.

The Island Hunt Branch’s John Asple James didn’t win a phase, but kept the pressure on Maher all the way and was only beaten into second by two points. The Duhallows’ Edward Healy, who finished third (3,832) overall, won both the swim and the run but lost 50 points in the ride.

Thanks to recording one of three clear rounds in the ride phase, Co Clare’s Grace Murphy saw off nine rivals to win the Senior Girls’ tetrathlon on 4,072 points. Offaly’s Amelie Henson, who won the swim and was also fault-free in the ride, placed second on 4,030. The hosts’ Annabelle Dunne, who dropped 120 points in the ride, finished third (3,778). Clodagh Reilly of the Ward Union Branch won both the shoot and run, but failed to complete.

Alex Barry, Co Limerick PC, winner Junior Boys at the Kildare PC fun minimus \ Mel Doyle

Close result

There was another close result in the 19-runner Junior Boys’ competition, where Co Limerick’s Alex Barry topped the final leaderboard on 4,488 with the Killinicks’ Max Doran close up in second on 4,484. Barry’s clubmate, John Kirby, finished third on 4,454. While all three held on to their full 1,400 ride points, as did seven others, they didn’t win any of the other phases which went the way of United’s Oisin O’Donnell (swim), Meath’s Kieran Dunne (shoot) and The Kingdom’s Aaron O’Sullivan (run).

The Killultaghs’ Annabel McKeown, who is representing Area 17/Northern Ireland in the Pony Club home international tetrathlon at the Royal Windsor Horse Show tomorrow, warmed up for that challenge with victory in Sunday’s Junior Girls’ competition. There were 46 starters of whom 21 were clear in the ride including the first three on the final leaderboard.

McKeown started the day well when second in the swim phase at K Leisure in Athy. At the racecourse, she was only ninth in the shoot, but bounced back to fill the runner-up spot in the run before holding on to her full 1,400 ride points for a total of 4,625. Consistency across all four phases saw Ali Hughes of the Carlow Branch place second on 4,391 with the Kilkennys’ Anna Rose Hughes winning the shoot en route to finishing third (4,381).

The swim phase was won by Galway Mid County’s Hannah Hussey, who, having lost 25 ride points, finished fourth (4,369), while Wicklow’s Isabelle Galligan, who didn’t complete, topped the scores in the run.

Similar to McKeown, North Kilkenny member Nancy Lyons Teehan headed to Balmoral Show during the week on the back of victory in Sunday’s Girls’ Minimus where, in this three-phase competition, she was second in the swim, fifth in the run and faultless in the ride for a total of 3,600 points.

Carlow’s Milly Fitzgerald, who won the run phase in this 66-strong competition, finished second overall on 3,534, with her clubmate, Darcey Buitelaar, placing third (3,450). Bella Hayes of the Laois Branch topped the scores in the swim.

At Balmoral, Lyons Teehan competed in Thursday’s Connemara working hunter class on Buachaill Buí and in a Mountain and Moorland ridden class on Butleigh Letsby Avenue. Today, she has two rides in the working hunter pony section, Dartans Séoda Bán (133cm) and Newydd Lady Marmalade (143cm).

Nancy rode the six-year-old palomino mare Dartans Séoda Bán at Punchestown (as did her sister Robin who finished 15th in the same class) and schooled both Buachaill Buí and Dartans Brandonwell Jack around the ride course for the future, which will possibly include Pony Club eventing.

Jamie Cronin, Duhallow PC, winner Minimus Boys at the Kildare PC fun minimus \ Mel Doyle

Minimus

The Duhallows’ Jamie Cronin took an early lead in the Boys’ Minimus when winning the swim and, despite finishing fifth in the run and losing 60 points in the ride, the 11-year-old held on to land this 36-runner class on a total of 3,626. The Island Branch’s Tadhg Murphy filled the runner-up slot on 3,578, ahead of the Killinicks’ Scott Doran (3,562). The Islands’ Luke Murphy claimed the honours in the run.

There were contrasting field sizes at Fledgling level, with just nine boys taking on Sunday’s challenge.

Representing the Co Clare Branch, Sam Moran won the swim, was fourth in the run and then went clear in the ride to top the final leaderboard with 2,720 points to his credit. The run winner, Kildare’s Odhran Duffy, who held on to all his ride points, finished second on 2,630, while Meath’s Luke Murray, who posted the only other fault-free ride score, was third on 2,564.

On her way to victory with 2,928 points in the Girls’ competition, the Ward Union’s Edith Neary had to hold off 29 rivals. Closest to her at the conclusion of the three phases was the Duhallows’ Olivia Philpott (2,832), who lost 60 points in the ride (there were only four clears), and another Ward Union member, Alexanne Fox (2,692).

The Wards’ Maggie Cooke, who withdrew after the run in which she placed second to Meath’s Sophie Kerrigan, won the swim.

The Laois Branch is holding a Fun Minimus/Tetrathlon next Sunday, May 24th, again utilising the facilities at K Leisure Athy for the swim phase before moving the action to Stradbally Hall. The Golden Vale Branch is holding a similar competition seven days later when the swim will be staged at Thurles Leisure Centre, the shoot and run phases at Thurles racecourse, and the ride phase at Crossogue Equestrian.