AS hosts of the 2027 European working hunter championships, the Irish Pony Society will be under pressure to select a home squad, some of whom got their 2026 season under way last Saturday at the first qualifying leg of this year’s three-phase Sports Pony Challenge held at Raheen Na Gun Stud.

Both the working hunter and show jumping tracks were built by John O’Boyle, with Shauna Gillian judging the show jumping phase throughout the day. The dressage phase for the majority of the eight classes was judged by Anne Kirwan, while Cindy Hamilton assessed the flat work of those in the starter stakes and novice class.

Rachel Hamilton Bennett judged the performance hunter phase of the starter stakes and 143cm classes, while that phase in all other classes came under the scrutiny of Jennifer Byrne. Three qualifying spots were on offer in each class. If two or more combinations were on the same highest combined score after all three phases, their performance hunter marks proved the decider.

This rule had to be applied in the 143cm class, where both Aisling Malone, riding her mother Grainne’s seven-year-old dun Connemara gelding Barravalley Bailey (by Barravalley Jack), and Maggi Caffrey on the 15-year-old bay Connemara gelding Illaunaurra Bay, who is owned by her parents, Mark and Mary, were on 270 points at the close of play.

By virtue of her marginally higher performance hunter score (86 to 85), Caffrey claimed the first qualifying spot with Illaunaurra Bay (Castleside JJ Junior - Illaunurra Heather, by Silver Shadow), who was bred in Co Galway at Pat O’Neill. This combination had filled the second reserve slot in their Balmoral Connemara working hunter qualifier at The Meadows seven days earlier. The busy Evie Kennedy qualified in third with her mother Maeve’s 17-year-old Connemara gelding Little Dromin Phoenix (265).

Height classes

In the other height classes, the first qualifying spots were secured by Nancy Lyons Teehan in the 133cm class with her mother Louise’s Horse of the Year Show winner, the six-year-old palomino mare Dartans Séoda Bán; by Clara Cully in the 153cm class with the Connemara gelding P.I.O. (Celtic Moy Sailor - Joan, by Crahahan Champ), a 14-year-old chesnut owned by her parents Maurice and Buddy; and by Lily Nadir, the sole starter, in the 158cm class with her father Birol’s 11-year-old chesnut Irish Sport Horse gelding Zavy Echo (Zavatar F - Taylor Echo, by Clover Echo).

Louise Lyons herself took to the saddle in the Connemara class over a 90cm track. There were only five starters and one was eliminated, but she could do nothing more than win all three phases for a perfect 300-point score on the seven-year-old gelding Buachaill Buí (Templebready Fear Buí - Golden Goose, by Glaskopf Golden Siskin), who was bred in Co Wexford by Avril Doyle.

Lyons, who owns the winner in partnership with her mother Anne, revealed: “We bought him in Goresbridge last year. I rode him because Nancy was only allowed ride two on the day. He’s unusual as he is a cremello Connemara. He has the most lovely, amazing temperament. Hopefully, he will go on to be an all-rounder, event and compete as a 153cm working hunter pony. I enjoyed competing here, so I might do the Dublin Connemara performance qualifiers on him. Long-term, he’s for Nancy or to produce to sell on.”

Connemaras

Evie Holohan claimed the first qualifying spot in the class for Connemaras over a 1m track. She won both the dressage and performance hunter phases, but was only fourth over the coloured poles, with her mother Una’s 10-year-old grey mare Annette’s Girl (Woodfield Oisin - Paul’s Princess, by Currachmore Cashel).

This year, those competing in the starter stakes class are tackling all three phases and the first winner under the new format was Ella Mai Power riding Helen Hennebry’s Connemara gelding Ballyerk Floss (Ballybeg JJ - Ballyerk Candy, by Clonfert Boy). The Patrick Blake-bred eight-year-old did a season’s show jumping with Power last year.

First place in the show jumping phase secured victory in the novice class for Elizabeth Ryan and her father Garreth’s seven-year-old Connemara gelding Brownsgrove Star (Lydican Johnny - Kilgarvan Mist, by Kingstown Boy).

The remaining SPC qualifiers are scheduled for Saturday next, March 21st, at Banner Equestrian with Killossery Lodge Stud being the venue for the third and last qualifier on Easter Tuesday, April 7th. The final will be held at the Boswell Equestrian Centre on Sunday, April 26th.

The Western Area of the IPS is holding its Spring Show tomorrow at Duffys EC in Claregalway, while Greenacres EC is staging its affiliated St Patrick’s Day show next Tuesday, March 17th.

The Tipperary Area Spring Show, which is being held at Tipperary EC outside Thurles, takes place next Sunday, March 22nd.