HAVING finished sixth in the 143cm Horse of the Year Show working hunter pony qualifier, no doubt Evie Kennedy was a bit disappointed with her first trip to the recent Royal Highland Show, but the Co Tipperary rider bounced back from that on Wednesday at Sceilig.
There, on the same pony, her mother Maeve’s Connemara gelding Little Dromin Phoenix (Lettermuckoo Lad - Ballindoon Dolan Sparrow, by Dolan Mick), she won the 143cm class at the fourth and final Irish Pony Society-staged qualifier for the Gallagher Dublin Horse Show.
Kennedy has won numerous classes and championships around the country on the 17-year-old Vera Griffin-bred grey and, famously, they won the 143cm final at the 2024 Horse Of The Year Show. The combination have a great record at Dublin, where they were working hunter pony champions, also in 2024, and last year again won their class.
Kennedy on song again
On Wednesday, Kennedy and Little Dromin Phoenix topped the combined scores of judges Sharon Fitton and Simon Beirne on 92 marks. However, as they had already claimed their qualifying spot when winning at Banner, the first ticket was awarded to Co Antrim’s Ellie Bingham, who finished second (90) on her mother Ashley’s eight-year-old Irish Sport Pony mare Currabawn Prada (Celtic Hero BZ - Currabawn Clare, by Aran Flight).
Bingham and the Ian Heslin-bred dun qualified for the same class last year and also for the 138cm Junior equitation class, in which they finished second.
As Aoife Brennan had also previously qualified on the third-placed 10-year-old dun gelding Captain Bailey (87), the second ticket therefore went to Chloe Doyle, who finished fourth on 85.5 with the ISH mare Barnhouse Calabria, a six-year-old dun by Tullanna Romeo.
A place further back on 86 marks, Lucy Bannon was delighted to secure a qualifying spot with her mother Claire’s seven-year-old ISP mare Carnhill Jema (by Rocklawn Elvis).
With Holly Logan having previously qualified on the sixth-placed Owens Shadow (84), the remaining two tickets were awarded to Zara Fryday on the seven-year-old roan mare Brabzon Moll (82.5) and to Nicola Cobbe with the six-year-old English Muffin (80), a dun daughter of Vivant van de Heffinck.
Kontiki’s class
If there’s a horse who epitomises the ability, temperament and suitability of the Irish Draught for any equestrian sport, it has to be Penny Murphy’s Kontiki (Killinick Bouncer - Glen Cross, by Holycross), who won the 158cm class on a score of 94 marks.
The Seamus Neville-bred 12-year-old provides his owner with a lot of enjoyment and success when competing in dressage but, when the grey leaves the ground, Charlotte Harding is on his back, as she was here and at the one at Knockagh View on their only previous start in the series.
Harding has also qualified Kontiki once again for the older performance Irish Draught class at Dublin where, on the opening morning, they finished fourth before winning the working hunter pony championship on the Saturday.
As they had already booked their spot for the workers, the first ticket was then awarded to David Kiely, who placed second with his father Roger’s SCS Ballycoskerry Cardento (91.5), an eight-year-old ISH mare by HSF Cardento Royale, on whom he finished fourth of 25 in the CCI1*-Intro at Millstreet in May. Emily Jayne McPolin’s trip down to Sceilig paid off, when she qualified in third on Thornleigh Sir Robin (85), an eight-year-old ISH gelding by Silver Shadow.
Also heading to Dublin having secured the final golden tickets of 2026 are Elizabeth Cooke with Tawnagh Lad (83), an 11-year-old Connemara gelding by Classiebawn Black Jack, Cara Foley with the eight-year-old bay mare Summerdale Stride Of Pride (81.5) and Lexi Treacy with the 15-year-old Connemara stallion Brock Blizzard (78), a son of Ashfield Romeo.