CURRENT and former members of Branches of the Irish Pony Club can pop up anywhere in other areas of equestrianism and last weekend a number of such individuals were on the mark at the famed Dingle Derby race meeting outside Ballintaggart.

Current Ward Union Branch member Jake Cromwell won Saturday’s 14hh 10-furlong race on Little Chief and partnered the same pony to victory on Sunday in the mile and a half race. Former Ward member Kaceylou Carberry was on the mark on Friday in the mile and a half open horse race.

Holly Halford (16), a former member of the Laois Branch, recorded a double on Sunday which came up in the mile and a half open horse race on her mother Louise’s Smooth Operator. Louise credits the Pony Club for developing the skills of Holly, her brothers Josh (19) and Tommy (18), who are now working for trainers Gordon Elliott and Cormac Farrell respectively but are also show jumping at 1.40m level, and her 15-year-old twin sisters Jasmine and Emily who are jumping 148cm ponies.

Of course, former pony show jumper Kian McNally added to his tally of pony racing wins with a double over the three days and, while we can’t recall the Dingle Derby-winning jockey Billy Roberts being a member of an IPC Branch, we do know that he hunts regularly as does Paddy Finnegan who brought up a four-timer over the weekend.

Having congratulated another current Ward Branch member Dara O’Sullivan on recording his first point-to-point win back in May at Necarne on Brock Beauty, we can now acknowledge the 17-year-old’s first win on the track proper in the mares’ bumper at Sligo last Thursday week on Noble Name. Both winners are trained by Dara’s mother Claire O’Connell.

Rugby and Pony Club

We noted two links recently between Irish youths’ rugby and the Irish Pony Club. The Wexford Branch let all know that one of their members, Molly Hennessy Murphy who plays for New Ross RFC, had been selected for the Leinster Girls’ Under 18 team who beat Ulster 36-7 at Energia Park on Sunday evening. Meanwhile, former South Westmeath Branch member Andrew Henson is on the Ireland squad competing in the Under 18 men’s international series in South Africa.

Reminder

Members of the Irish Pony Club are reminded that you can qualify for the IPC show jumping Classic final at any qualifier around the country not just in your own Area.

Entries closed at 10pm last night for the qualifiers taking place tomorrow at CoilÓg and Raheen Na Gun but remain open for the Area 6 qualifier at Tubberbride on Thursday next, August 21st, for the Area 1 qualifier in the National Horse Sport Arena on Saturday, August 30th and for the Area 5 qualifier at Maryville on Sunday, August 31st.