THE Irish Pony Society held the second of the Dublin Horse Show working hunter pony qualifiers last Sunday at Raheen Na Gun Stud, where there was another large entry, resulting in a long day for the judges and other officials.

Those judges were Cathy Geoghegan (Phase 1) and Aoife O’Connor (Phase 2), whose combined scores saw Nancy Lyons Teehan winning two of the five classes, the 133cm and 143cm, while her sister, Robin, finished second in the starter stakes.

The pair shared the ride on their mother Louise’s very versatile Seoda Ban and both are now qualified for the finals in August with the six-year-old palomino mare, who Nancy partnered to victory in the 133cm working hunter pony class at the Horse of the Year Show last October. They were also on the Irish team which finished second at the British Show Pony Society championships, where they placed third in the Desert Orchid. They have qualified for this year’s Royal International Horse Show at Hickstead.

On Sunday, Lyons Teehan booked her place at Dublin with Seoda Ban, when winning the 133cm class on a score of 94.5; they were sixth at Banner. Louisa Dalton finished second on the 11-year-old dun gelding Dellboy II (91), one point ahead of Nancy Caffrey, who assured herself of a place in the Dublin starting field when third with the 19-year-old palomino gelding Bowmount Rusty.

Eva Molan, who finished fourth (83) with Lucy Boo, will have to complete another qualifier on the 13-year-old 128cm Grade A gelding before being deemed qualified while, on a score of 82.5, Will Griffin was fifth with the seven-year-old skewbald mare Leagun Colour, on whom he had been off the pace seven days earlier. Three of the 25 starters failed to complete.

Lyons Teehan doubled up on board the 13-year-old Welsh mare Newydd Lady Marmalade (Penbee Starlight Express - Newydd Megan, by Newydd Lloyd) in the 53-runner 143cm class where five combinations received the big ‘E’. Among the chesnut’s wins last year was that in the 90cm section of the TopSpec Gold Cup sports pony final at Burghley in September.

Here, the Bluegate Stud Equestrian Centre rider clinched victory thanks to her combined jumping plus conformation and movement scores, as she completed on a total of 94.5 as did Maggi Caffrey with the well-known 15-year-old Connemara gelding Illaunurra Bay and Ellie O’Donnell with the 16-year-old bay gelding Ballyhone Toby.

In action at Prix St George level at the North Munster Region dressage show in Garranemore on Saturday with the 23-year-old Spanish gelding Cordobes XXXVI, Evie Kennedy travelled to Raheen Na Gun with the 17-year-old Connemara gelding, Little Dromin Phoenix. She and the Banner winner had to settle for fourth here on 93.5, a point ahead of Lyons Teehan and the 10-year-old skewbald gelding Brandonwell Jack.

Louise Lyons is in favour of these RDS qualifiers, but not of all the rules. “Nancy can only ride two ponies in Dublin, so I have to look for another jockey for Buachaill Bui, who she was eighth on in the 153cm class. I find that a very disappointing rule at Dublin.

“I’ve taught a lot of children lately who haven’t done working hunter before, but who are doing these qualifiers. It’s great to see them learning new skills and trying to get to Dublin. The qualifiers have brought working hunter to a lot of children who are trying it for the first time and the entries are huge, which is great to see.”

Not only will you find the Lyons Teehan family on the showing circuit but Nancy, Robin and Nicky George are very active members of the North Kilkenny Branch of the Irish Pony Club and will be participating at the national Minimus championships in Clonshire next weekend.