A REGULAR Tetrathlon participant for the Killultagh, Old Rock and Chichester Branch of Area 17 of The Pony Club, Emma Stewart represented Northern Ireland and Ulster when winning the women’s Under 20 class over 6,000 metres at the Home Countries and Celtic Nations’ cross-country at Parliament Hill London on Saturday.

The 16-year-old, who attends Banbridge Academy, joined Dromore Athletics Club to improve her running for Tetrathlon but proved so adept at this single discipline that she was keen to prove herself in this as well. Her sister Olivia, who also competes in Tetrathlon for the Killultaghs, runs for Dromore as does the pair’s mother Joanne who is the Branch’s contact for Tetrathlon. As for Mr Stewart, a former rugby player? “His running days are over!” stated Joanne.

In early August last year, Emma comfortably won the run phase en route to landing the individual Intermediate girls’ title at the UK Pony Club JCB Tetrathlon championships at Offchurch Bury. Later in the month, at the Irish Pony Club Tetrathlon championships in Co Kildare, she had to settle for second in the run behind the overall individual winner Emma Hickey, a member of the successful Wexford senior team and the winner, late last year, of the bronze medal in the Under 20 European cross-country championships in Portugal.

It’s great to see Pony Club members making their name on the wider stage and it will be an interesting clash when the two Emmas come up against one another again this year!