WATERFORD’s Hannah Mackey headed into her Leaving Certificate exams this week on the back of a win in the 153cm class at the second of the RDS working hunter pony qualifiers, which was run by the Irish Pony Society at Raheen na Gun Stud last Sunday.

Eighteen-year-old Mackey and her mother Paula Widger’s year older Connemara gelding Ella’s Melody (I Love You Melody - Ella’s Glory, by Windy Day), who had finished 12th at Banner, claimed the top spot here having amassed 95 marks.

This was two more than Aoife Walsh and the 20-year-old gelding Woodfield Clover Joker, who had finished well down the field seven days earlier. On Bank Holiday Monday, when representing the Duhallow Branch, they won a Section of the Junior competition at the Connolly’s Red Mills/Irish Pony Club eventing qualifier at Kilguilkey House.

With a lower jumping score (58 to 57), Isabéal Conway Kelly had to settle for third, although also amassing 93 marks on the eight-year-old skewbald gelding Peppy King. Lucy Kent finished fourth on the 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Ti Chip Again (88.5), while Ellie Bingham’s trip down from Co Antrim paid dividends, as she secured her place in the Dublin final with the 13-year-old skewbald gelding Morepark Alamo (88). Eight of the 60 starters failed to complete.

With plenty of success behind him in Britain when Widger purchased Ella’s Melody just before the Covid restrictions came in, he missed a year of competition. He and Mackey have since won many championships both here and across the water.

There, they represented Ireland at the 2023 European working hunter pony championships and, the following year, were crowned supreme working hunter pony champions at the Royal International Horse Show in Hickstead. At home, they won their 153cm class at Dublin in both 2023 and 2024.

Highest score

On the day’s highest score of 96.5, Co Kilkenny’s Aoibhinn Ruane made it two wins of out two, when landing Sunday’s 158cm qualifier with Birol Nadir’s 11-year-old ISH gelding Zavy Echo (Zavatar F - Taylor Echo, by Clover Echo).

Jessica Murphy didn’t compete at Banner, so will have to complete at either Knockagh View tomorrow or at Sceilig on July 1st, if she wants to secure her Dublin qualification on the second-placed 10-year-old ISH gelding Leestone Conbreaker (92).

Abigail Kenny and Becky Scott both assured themselves of a place in the final when finishing third and fourth, respectively, on the eight-year-old Connemara gelding Hogan The Brave (also on 92) and the five-year-old ISH mare RDM Ring Of The Night (91).

Eliminated at Banner but finishing fifth here (also on 91) were ‘J’ Naughton and his eight-year-old Class 1 Connemara stallion Carrowmore Magic Mist, who will have to achieve a completion score over the remaining two qualifiers if they are to start at Dublin as they did last August. Between these qualifiers and his show jumping career (he has 78 SJI points), the grey is standing at stud with his owner in Athenry.