IRELAND has announced strong line-ups for next week’s Pony Club Nations Cup at the Ballindenisk international horse trials, where members of the Irish Pony Club will compete at 1* and 2* levels against their counterparts from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

The IPC members have been selected on their placings at the Connolly’s Red Mills eventing championships, which were held at Tatteralls Ireland last month, and the squad have since benefited from top-class training with Debbie Byrne, Joanne Jarden and Jane O’Flynn.

The Nations’ Cup ‘weekend’ will run under Eventing Ireland rules as CNC1* and CNC2* competitions in a long format, with dressage on Friday, cross-country on Saturday, and trot-up and show jumping on Sunday. This initiative is supported by generous bursaries for each selected rider from the George Mernagh Memorial Fund along with much-appreciated sponsorship from Connolly’s Red Mills, Foran Equine plus Carr & Day & Martin.

In alphabetical order, the 1* team comprises Hogan Byrne (Kildare) with the 17-year-old appaloosa gelding AC Remus, Isabel Byrne (Shillelagh) with the five-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Hilton Ka Boom (by Ganesh Hero Z), Keira Crowther (Island) with the 15-year-old appaloosa gelding Tomoka Spots, Victoria Roche (Duhallow) with the 17-year-old ISH gelding Glenomra Andy (by Crannagh Hero) and Sorcha Vickers (Wicklow) with the 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Interface (by Montender).

Representing Ireland in the 2* class will be Ben Buckley (Co Limerick) with Sam Watson’s former Olympic ride Tullabeg Flamenco (a 16-year-old ISH gelding by Tullabeg Fusion), Isabel Fitzgerald (United) with the 16-year-old ISH mare OLS Pixie Hollow (by Master Imp), Maeve Flynn (Duhallow) with the 10-year-old Spanish Sport Horse Orza SC (by Roccossifred), Emily Fox (Tipperary) with the nine-year-old Irish Sport Pony Tievendarragh Gem (by Annaghmore Ginger) and Lucy O’Connor (West Carbery) with the 12-year-old traditionally-bred ISH gelding Rowanhill Luca Chan (by Luke Skywalker).