THE Duhallow Hunt Branch of the Irish Pony Club held their first Connolly’s Red Mills/IPC eventing qualifier with Deirdre O’Leary in the role of District Commissioner on Bank Holiday Monday.

They marked the occasion with a return to Danny and Michelle Dulohery’s Kilguilkey House, where Danny set a testing, technical cross-country track. Happily, the damp weather conditions which had greeted competitors in the morning, had dried up in time for the final phase action.

At present, Intermediate is the highest level of competition at these qualifiers and here the honours were divided between the Laois and Tipperary Branches.

Megan Adams, who recently passed her IPC lunging exam, struck for Laois when landing Section A on her winning dressage score (24.25 penalties) with the 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare Corranvale Arabella, who she competed at EI90 level at Lisgarvan House in April.

Sarah Kennedy finished second (27.5) on the 14-year-old traditionally-bred gelding Lough Eyes Lad, but her Tipperary teammate Ailbhe Healy gave the Branch a win in Section B, where she led from start to finish on 27 penalties with the 13-year-old Connemara gelding Carnaween Jake.

There were 23 starters in the Intro Intermediate, but the only rider to complete on her dressage score was the Uniteds’ in-form Emily Mulcahy, who did so with the 10-year-old Glann’s Owen gelding BrambleBrough Angus (36). The West Carberys’ Anna Connolly recorded an all-the-way win in the Intro Junior on board the 17-year-old Connemara gelding Mullaghgloss Rebel (25.75).

The Duhallow and Waterford Branches both completed Junior and Under 12s doubles.

As they were hosts, we will start with the Duhallows, whose Aoife Walsh landed Section A of the Junior competition on her winning dressage score (28) with Woodfield Clover Joke. Now 20 years of age, this bay gelding and former Duhallow member Rachel Lucey finished 12th individually at the 2021 European pony eventing championships in Poland.

Lucy O'Sullivan won Section B of the Under 12s’ at the Duhallow PC ODE at Kilguilkey House on Monday \ Geraldine Dennehy

The hosts’ double came up in Section B of the Under 12s’ qualifier, thanks to the efforts of Lucy O’Sullivan who, although only sixth after dressage on 26.5, recorded a double clear inside the time to claim the win with Clonmoyle Tiger, on whom she was second in a division of the Pony Club race at the nearby Cork racecourse on Easter Monday. The 23-year-old grey gelding has been a fantastic servant to many members of the Duhallow Branch.

Sofia Delfino initiated the Waterford Branch double, when landing a pillar-to-post victory in Section B of the Junior competition riding the eight-year-old Connemara gelding Mullaghmór Sunset (24.25). The double came up in Section A of the Under 12s, where Tara Power and the 25-year-old 128cm Welsh gelding Millcroft Dow Jones, who jumped in Dublin in 2022, found themselves left in front on their dressage score (23.75), as the four combinations ahead of them had problems in one or other of the jumping phases.

The Carlow Branch are holding their Connolly’s Red Mills/IPC eventing qualifier tomorrow at Lisgarvan House.

There is then a break for the Lyons of Limerick Defender/IPC minimus championships in Clonshire, after which there will be two qualifiers on Sunday, June 21st - at Coolboy (Shillelagh Branch) and at Ballindenisk (United and Carbery Branches).