A FEW young show jumping riders dipped their toes into the pony working hunter world last year in a bid to qualify for the Dublin Horse Show and more might do so this season given the results of the first of the four RDS qualifiers which was held at the Banner Equestrian Centre in Co Clare last Saturday.

This year’s course builder for the qualifiers is Charles Hanley while, at Dublin, that duty will once again be undertaken by Britain’s Kevin Millman who welcomed last year’s inaugural qualifying process. He was particularly pleased when all forward for the starter stake class completed the jumping challenge.

“I thought Charles built a very clever course which asked the right questions; there were a lot more knockdowns than refusals,” said Denise Colebrooke who, on a long day, judged the jumping phase on Saturday before combinations moved on to be assessed on the flat in a set show piece and stripped for conformation judging by Sharon Fitton.

“The standard of pony was fair but there were a few exceptional ones,” continued Colebrooke. “I thought the show jumping riders were more aware of stride patterns and how to use the ring.”

One young rider well versed in working hunter pony ringcraft is Nancy Lyons Teehan who won Saturday’s 133cms class on her mother Louise Lyons’s Dartans Séoda Bán. Younger sister Robin had partnered this pony in the starter stakes. Eleven-year-old Nancy has been enjoying a great start to the showing season on this five-year-old mare and her other ponies.

Since bagging four Horse of the Year Show tickets at the Northern Ireland Festival, Lyons Teehan partnered Dartans Séoda Bán to finish reserve starter stakes champion at Balmoral. After that Louise brought the two girls to England where Nancy recorded some superb results.

She won the starter stakes and 133cms Royal International Horse Show qualifier at Grantham Arena UK on Dartans Séoda Bán; then won the NPS 122cms working hunter pony RIHS qualifier at Greenlands with Tynffyd Cary’s; rounding off the trip when qualifying Noble Jasper Carrot (starter stakes) and Newydd Lady Marmalade (143cms working hunter pony) for the RIHS.