TWO young Co Meath riders topped the scores in the starter stakes and 133cm classes at last Sunday’s first Dublin Horse Show working hunter pony qualifier at Banner Equestrian.

At the Co Clare venue, Ratoath’s Cian Greene claimed the first qualifying ticket in the starter stakes on board his mother Jamie’s 23-year-old grey gelding Captain Casper (86 marks), who he started competing last year.

For good measure, Greene also finished fourth with Killiskey Magic (84), on whom he won the Royal International Horse Show working hunter championship at the IPC’s spring show at Barnadown, where they finished as reserve supreme show champions. Cian and the 18-year-old black mare finished sixth in the Under 10s’ show jumping championship at the recent Balmoral Show.

With his class starting at 8am on Sunday, Greene and his mother travelled down to Banner on Saturday, as did many others, leaving father Charles at home as he had to bring younger son C.J. to a match. Both boys are active members of the Ward Union Branch of the Irish Pony Club.

Riding for her father Trevor, Emily Palmer finished half a point back in second with the 11-year-old bay gelding Creganna Lorenzo (85.5). Others to make a ticket-securing start to the campaign were Clara O’Donnell on the 20-year-old Welsh gelding Springdale Sportstar (85) and Robyn Maher with the 21-year-old grey gelding Gowerhass Boy (82.5).

Greene’s not too distant neighbour, Nancy Caffrey from Ashbourne, was a comprehensive winner of the 133cm class on her mother Mary’s 19-year-old piebald gelding Bowmount Rusty (100 marks), on whom she also qualified at this venue last year.

This combination, who placed third in the starter stakes final at Dublin, have been performing well all season, most recently finishing third in their open working hunter starter stakes class at Balmoral, a position they also filled at the IPS Sports Pony Challenge final in late April.

Also qualifying on Sunday were Ellen McLoughlin with the 11-year-old bay mare Mount Temple Star (96), Harry Hillman on the 14-year-old piebald gelding Tullohea Tic Tac (95), Judy O’Donnell riding the 10-year-old Connemara mare Cluainn Spring Johnson (91) and Chloe Macnaughton on the 19-year-old bay mare Tilly B (89.5).