IT’S disappointing that so few Open members of the Irish Pony Club contest the Area qualifiers and, in turn, compete at the Festival, but there is no shortage of interest in show jumping among the younger brigade as was seen last week at Barnadown where TRI Equestrian were the title sponsors.

The Under 12s were the first to take on the coloured poles in the Alice Mernagh competition which got underway at 9.15am on the Thursday. From the nine Area qualifiers, 31 teams started with 15 of those completing the first two rounds, where an optimum time ruling was in place, on a zero score.

Each of these teams put forward a rider for the timed jump-off with Lauren MacMahon going clear again in 26.76 with Loughwell Lucas to claim the title for the Scarteen Maniacs. Her teammates were Lucy Ryan (Morrissey), Beau Bourke (Moonacurragh Rolo) and Hannah McCoy (Seanie Thunder). Their neighbours, the Co Limerick Branch slotted into second through their Legends quartet of the very busy Archie McCartan, Ethan Murphy (clear in 26.97), Freya Barry and Isla Foley, with Shillelagh Greens finishing third in 27.7.

The Bray Stars’ foursome of Katie Haines, Ruby Wrynn, Anna Grimes and Abbey Cassidy recorded a notable double as they won both the best turned-out and the horsemanship awards at this level.

In the individual competition, the honours went to Wexford’s Sarah Jordan riding Blau.

At the other end of the age spectrum, just two teams contested Friday’s Open/Senior team competition both of whom were on eight faults following the first two rounds of jumping. It was a similar situation following the jump-off but the faster eight-fault score was recorded in 129.28 by the Carlow Rubies’ quartet of Alannah Bailey (Kilpatrick Sparkle), Rosemary Dundon (Killags Foxy Lady), Darragh O’Brien (Ironhills Shooting Star) and Lily Hatton (Back To The Future).

There were just seven starters in the senior individual competition where the only double clear was posted by the Laois Branch’s Holly Gee on her father Bryan’s home-bred ISH mare KLS Bumble, a seven-year-old chesnut daughter of Tangelo van de Zuuthoeve with whom she competes at 1.20m level under Showjumping Ireland rules.