THE Leitrim branch of the Irish Pony Club was nominated in two categories for the Annual Leitrim Sports Star Awards 2025, which took place last Saturday at the Lough Rynn Castle Estate and Gardens. The nominations arose from their successful musical ride display, which brought them not only to the Pony Club Championships in Barnadown last summer, but also to the Dublin Horse Show. The children involved in the ride were nominated in the Juvenile Team of the Year section, while their instructor Becky Lee was shortlisted for Coach of the Year.

The idea for their Shrek-inspired “Get out of my swamp” musical ride came about at a Christmas rally in 2024, when Becky showed the children in her ride how to put a drill together. Their DCs Paula O’Neill and Julie Quinn were so impressed with their efforts that they decided there and then to put an entry into the Pony Club Championships the following year. The team duly won, and were invited to perform in Ring Two at the Horse Show, where they brought the house down.

The participants were aged between 13 and 16 and an assortment of horses were involved, from Connemaras and rescue cobs to an ex-racehorse. Instructor Becky Lee said: “They pulled off an amazing performance at the Dublin Horse Show, and to be nominated alongside local GAA and rugby teams is very exciting for them. The Pony Club really is the place where children learn to have fun with their ponies, and the musical ride is a brilliant way for young people to learn the value of flatwork without being intimidated by dressage. The girls learned the value of teamwork, had enormous amounts of fun, and gained huge pride in themselves, their ponies and their club.”