KILDARE Hunt Branch member Phonsie Wardell, who finished fourth in the Irish Pony Club’s show jumping Classic final at CoilÓg last Sunday on his mother Sarah’s Whydah, is riding the same horse this weekend in the inaugural ARC racehorse to eventer challenge at the Cornbury international horse trials in England.

At CoilÓg, Phonsie won the Treo Eile-sponsored prize for the highest-place thoroughbred at the final on Whydah, who is an 11-year-old British-bred gelding by Black Sam Bellamy. The grey failed to win or be placed in 10 starts over hurdles and five over fences between October 2018 and March 2020 when trained by Jessica Harrington.

On being retired from racing, Whydah was first ridden by Sarah Wardell who campaigned him up to, and was placed at, CCI3*-S level. Phonsie began competing the gelding under Eventing Ireland rules at the start of this season and they have been placed four times in EI110 (J) company. In the CCI2*-L at the Lisgarvan international horse trials last month, when they had 12 show jumping penalties, the pair finished 15th of 23.

Also representing Ireland in the challenge, which has a first prize of £45,000, are senior riders Orlagh Halliday (Cold War), Emma Newsam (Kilcooley Michael) and Sam Watson (Nominator), while Phonsie is also competing against such well-known British event riders as Oliver Townend, Piggy March and William Fox-Pitt.