THE Cremello gelding Buachaill Bui narrowly failed to qualify at Scarteen late last Saturday morning for the younger Connemara performance hunter championship at the Gallagher Dublin Horse Show in August but, later in the day, he played a major role in a championship success.

On Friday, Louise Lyons drove the family’s loaded lorry over to Clonshire, where her three children, Nancy (11), Robin (10) and Nicky George (nine) Lyons Teehan, were competing in the Lyons of Limerick DEFENDER/Irish Pony Club national Minimus championships, along with other members of the North Kilkenny Branch. As Nancy was on the Ireland Green international team, she had to be there on Friday for the shoot phase, which was followed by the first of two overnight stays.

On Saturday morning, Louise headed from Clonshire to Scarteen, where she did qualify for the performance Irish Draught championship at Dublin when winning Section A of the six-year-old and upwards class with Lady Perdita Blackwood’s well-known eight-year-old Scrapman gelding, Clandeboye.

Unfortunately, she didn’t manage to bag a qualifying ticket with Buachaill Bui as, on 239.5 marks, they were one of a trio of combinations who finished equal third in Section A of the younger ponies’ class behind Becky Scott and Fionnan Finnegan, who dead-heated for first on 240.5 with Glenford Yogi and Glasson Dexter Tulira respectively.

While still at Scarteen, Louise received word that the pony Nancy and Robin were to compete wasn’t quite right in the morning, so she had to drive back in a hurry to Clonshire, where Buachaill Bui was quickly unloaded for Nancy to ride. The seven-year-old Templebready Fear Bui gelding went clear over a challenging track to help North Kilkenny win the national team championship, while Nancy also finished second individually to her Queens squad teammate Molly Jean Clarke.

Robin rode Nicky George’s pony Dartans Matteus and jumped lots of big fences on the six-year-old appaloosa gelding, so she was delighted with her championship experience.