THE only Munster rider to top the scores in their RDS working hunter pony qualifying class at Banner Equestrian last Sunday was Co Tipperary’s Evie Kennedy, who did so in the 143cm division on her mother Maeve’s ever-consistent Little Dromin Phoenix.

Kennedy and the 17-year-old Connemara gelding, who won their final at Dublin last August, completed on a total of 103.5 which left them two points clear of another in-form pairing, Aoife Brennan and her mother Aine’s 10-year-old gelding Captain Bailey who won their show hunter pony class at the RDS last summer.

Also getting their hands on a qualifying ticket spot on Sunday, subject to them completing a second qualifier, were Nancy Lyons Teehan with the 10-year-old skewbald gelding Brandonwell Jack (98.5), Louisa Dalton on the 20-year-old brown gelding Monarch Of The Glen (91.5) and Sophie O’Donnell with the 12-year-old Connemara stallion Cool Jack (90.5).

This win for Kennedy and the Vera Griffin-bred Little Dromin Phoenix (Lettermuckmoo Lad - Ballindoon Dolan Sparrow, by Dolan Mick) comes on the back of their victory in the Clifden high performance qualifier at Balmoral, where they also won their open 143cm working hunter pony class.

Kennedy (16), who has just finished transition year at the Ursuline in Thurles, has another year left to compete at 143cm level with Little Dromin Phoenix on whom she won at the Horse of the Year Show in 2024. She, her parents Maeve and Seamus, younger brother Andy and, of course, Phoenix, are going to pay their first visit to the Royal Highland Show next month (June 18th to 21st).

The young rider is also very keen on dressage and, earlier this month, did her first Prix St George test at the Leinster Region show at Redhills Stud, where she scored 65% on her 23-year-old Spanish-bred gelding Cordobes XXXVI.

The 153cm class was won on a score of 92.5 marks by Abi Byrne and Daphne Scholts’s Cool Heritage, who are active on the Show Jumping Ireland circuit, competing in 148cm classes mainly at 1.10m level. The nine-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, who is by Mermus R out of the Kilpatrick Beech mare Cool Cantata, was bred by Gerry Fennell.

The second ticket here went to Lucy Donnelly, who accumulated 91.5 marks on board the 11-year-old ISH mare Tinraher Aggie. The remaining qualifying slots were filled by Charlotte Goor riding the 10-year-old ISH mare Ardville Whispering Hope (85.5), Hazel Slattery with the 10-year-old Connemara mare Breolle Mist (84.5) and Sophie Dolan Harte on the nine-year-old Connemara mare Curraghaleen Hazy Match (82.5).

Co Kilkenny’s Aoibhinn Ruane recorded a comfortable victory in the 158cm class for riders under 25, where she and Birol Nadir’s 11-year-old ISH gelding Zavy Echo (Zavatar F - Taylor Echo, by Clover Echo) were awarded 103 marks.

Here, Charlotte Goor and Ardville Whispering Hope finished second (98), ahead of another in-form pairing of Ellie Rogan and the eight-year-old ISH gelding Aloe Blacc (90), Lily Nadir and the 15-year-old ISH mare Country Strong (90) and Becky Scott riding the five-year-old ISH mare RDM Ring Of The Night (85).

Ruane, who turned 21 in March, has nearly finished an internship with Deloitte, which is part of her Third Year commerce degree course in UCD. When in Dublin, she rides Zavy Echo who is kept on livery with Anne Mulvey in Co Wicklow. When she is home at weekends, she rides out for racehorse trainer Jim Bolger.

The plan for Zavy Echo is to complete another qualifier (he is entered at Kilbride tomorrow), after which Lily Nadir, the owner’s daughter, will compete with the Isabel Burke-bred chesnut at IPS shows and in show jumping over the summer.