THE United and Carbery Hunt Branches joined forces once again to run a Connolly’s Red Mills/Irish Pony Club eventing qualifier last Sunday at Ballindenisk, just four days after Eventing Ireland had held a very rare mid-week fixture at the Fell family’s popular venue.

No Branch was represented by more than one winner, the Duhallows getting the ball rolling in the 21-runner Intermediate where Victoria Roche completed on her winning dressage score (30.75 penalties) with her father Frank’s Glenomra Andy (Crannagh Hero - Glenomra Filice, by Filice de Champeix). Roche and the 18-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding competed in the Pony Club Nations Cup CNC1* at Ballindenisk last September, having first won their Intermediate arena at Tattersalls Ireland.

The West Waterford Branch struck in the Intro Intermediate, thanks to the efforts of Caoilainn Foley who also recorded a pillar-to-post victory, on a flat work mark of 24.25, on board the traditionally-bred 18-year-old ISH gelding Monatrea Xavier (Riyalan - Monatrea Jane, by Kildalton Gold).

The Junior competition was divided. In Section A, the honours again went to the dressage winner which, in this instance, was the Scarteens’ Jamie Crowe riding the 21-year-old chesnut gelding Castlequarter Rambo (26.25). The Carbery Branch had a deserved win in Section B where, not only did Vivienne Draper lead throughout on the Connemara mare D’Arcy Roxy Girl (William’s Boy - Rosemount Roxy, by Castlestrange Fionn), but did so on the only sub-20% score of 19.75.

The results were not so straightforward at Intro Junior level. In Section A the win, on her first phase score (39.25), went to Tipperary’s Lucy Sayers and the five-year-old Connemara gelding Springmount Dante Star (Cashelbay Barney - Annie, by Moyvoon Star), who were lying 12th after dressage. In Section B, Co Clare’s Tara Cooney moved up from fourth to first when completing on her dressage score (32.75) with the five-year-old piebald gelding, Freddie Flintoff (32.75).

In the divided Under 12s’ class, the honours in Section A went to the North Kilkenny’s team and individual girls’ Minimus champion Molly Jean Clarke who completed on her winning flat work mark (23.75) with her Clonshire mount, the 18-year-old bay gelding Taylors Dicey Reilly. The Kingdom Branch struck in Section B where Holly O’Driscoll, who had been lying second after dressage, claimed the win on her first phase score (23) with the 14-year-old Connemara gelding Abbeylands Oscar (Wings Of Justice - Abbeylands True Blue Bell, by Slaney).