ON his way to watch Elizabeth Power compete his Balladeer Clintender in the CCI4*-S at Scone Palace in Scotland, Ivan Hatton admitted to being much relieved following the weekend’s very successful Connolly’s Red Mills/Irish Pony Club National Eventing Championships at Tattersalls Ireland.

There were 14 dressage arenas in operation on Saturday along with three show jumping rings, which dropped to one on Sunday to cater for those competing at Open and Intermediate level who had tackled their cross-country phase on Saturday afternoon. Two tracks, one at 90cm level at the higher end of the farm and one at 80cm at the lower, ran concurrently throughout the second day and these were completely separate - apart from crossing at the main water fence, which attracted most of the spectators.

Hatton, the IPC’s Operations Manager, paid tribute to the organising committee, chaired by Jacinta Reville, loyal and supportive sponsors Connolly’s Red Mills, Tattersalls Ireland whose Chief Executive Officer and Director Simons Kerins was present, the sales company’s farm and maintenance team member Cormac O’Rourke, the huge team of volunteers from Branches all around the country, parents/guardians and the competitors themselves.

Also thanked and praised by Hatton for his input was cross-country course designer Paul Brady, who was backed up by fence builders TJ Dillon, Graham Boyd and Sylwiusz Bronk. While the latter has returned to Poland, Dillon, Boyd and Hatton will be working alongside Brady for the inaugural George Mernagh Tattersalls Horse Trials at the Co Meath venue on Sunday, September 13th.

“I’m delighted the Championships ran off so well,” commented Brady.

“Tatts is a wonderful venue with super infrastructure and with the terrain and all the trees they planted now maturing well, there is great scope for top-class cross-country courses. I know Ivan and the committee were apprehensive about the two tracks using the same water, but it worked well. This was a championship and the fences reflected that, in [that] they were designed and built to the specified dimensions.”

As usual, multiple footballs, hurls and sliotars appeared as soon as the 450 horses and ponies stabled on site had been fed and watered for the night.