THE penultimate qualifier for this year’s Connolly’s Red Mills/Irish Pony Club eventing championships was hosted by the Island Hunt Branch last Sunday at Frankfort Stud, where some new combinations topped the final leaderboards.

There were 11 starters in the Open class, where Carlow’s Rosemary Dundon completed on her winning dressage score (28.25 penalties) with her mother Anne Marie’s 19-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Killags Foxy Lady, a locally-bred chesnut mare by Kings’s Master, who she rode in the CCI2*-S at Millstreet in May.

Duhallow’s Victoria Roche also recorded one of only four show jumping clears when she, too, finished on her flat work mark of 31.25 to place second on board the 18-year-old ISH gelding Glenomra Andy, a grey son of Crannagh Hero.

Grace Murphy’s journey over from Co Clare proved well worthwhile in Section A of the Intermediate where, on her first phase score of 28.25, she was left in front to claim the win riding the eight-year-old ISH mare KEC Arctic Maxi (by KEC Maximum Joe). The early lead had been held by the Killinicks’ Kate Jordan on Serene Ace, but that thoroughbred gelding by Sandmason lowered a pole which resulted in them dropping to fourth (31.25).

Section B

In Section B, where the dressage winner on 25 penalties, Co Limerick’s Kate Murphy was eliminated in the show jumping phase with Hollywood Chase Me Charlie and the second-placed Offaly representatives, Saoirse Carty and Culmore Apple Jack lowered two fences to drop to sixth (33.5), Carlow’s Lucy Kelly moved up from third to claim the win with Srilanka Diamond (28.5), a 15-year-old mare by Kroongraaf.

The Intro Intermediate was also divided with the hosts’ Lauren Spencer, on her dressage score of 30.25 with the 12-year-old ISH gelding Tarbert Island (by OBOS Quality 004), benefiting from the problems incurred across the country by the first phase winners on 29 penalties, Kilkenny’s Emily Comerford on Butts Aryton. The Bray Branch initiated a treble, when Charlotte Smith completed on her dressage score (24.75) to win Section B with Mystical Porsha, a six-year-old ISH mare by Glenayre Mystical Bobby. The middle leg of the treble came up in Section C of the Junior competition, where Emily Grimes also recorded an all-the-way win with the 21-year-old Templebready Fear Bui gelding Millridge Buachaill Bui (23.25).

Open winner Rosemary Dundon riding Killags Foxy Lady for Carlow PC at the Island PC ODE \ Mel Doyle

A fence down show jumping proved expensive in Section A for Newcastle Lyons’s dressage winner Lucy Flynn, who dropped to third with Rock Houdini (31), allowing Kildare’s Pippa Dunne to claim the honours with the 10-year-old grey gelding Grand Riser (28). There was little drama in Section B, where Freya Barry of the Killinick Branch posted an all-the-way win on board The Causey Girl (22.5), a 15-year-old ISH mare by Rebel Mountain.

Treble

Eleanor Keegan brought up the treble for the Brays in Section A of the Intro Junior when finishing on her flat work mark (22.45) with the Connemara mare Tallyho Helen, an eight-year-old by Kingstown Cavalier. Jed Dillon of the East Galway Branch led early on Dartans Jumping Jack Flash, but dropped to third (27.25) with a fence down show jumping.

Following a very successful IPS Festival for her Branch at Barnadown, the Kildares struck here in Section B thanks to Emily Condon, who completed on her dressage score (29.75) with Clooneybreen Poitin, a 17-year-old Connemara gelding by Oisin. However, her win came at the expense of fellow Kildare member Emilie Hickey, whose total of 31.5 on Glenayre Mystical Mist included four show jumping penalties.

The only boy to record a win on the day was the Shillelaghs’ Edward Ryan who, on his eventing debut, landed Section A of the Under 12s’ competition on his first phase score (30) with the 13-year-old dun mare Jockeyhall Miss Brown who is usually ridden by his sister Sarah. A pole down show jumping proved very costly for the Killinicks’ Pippa Barry, who had been in the lead (29.75) on Lily.

A very busy season for Molly Jean Clarke of the North Kilkenny Branch continued on Sunday at Frankfort Stud, where she led Section B throughout on her very impressive dressage score of 18.75 with the 18-year-old bay gelding Taylors Dicey Reilly.