THE Wicklow Area of the Irish Pony Society held their Spring Show last Saturday at Boswell Equestrian where, by bringing in an extra judge for the second phase of the working hunter classes, they were finished before the worst of the weather arrived.

As always at this show, each mini competitor received an Easter egg and every competitor went into a raffle to win a giant Easter hamper provided by Area chairman, Johnny Kyle. The lucky winner was Rohan Moloney, who claimed the mini working hunter pony championship on his mother Zoe Shannon’s lead rein class winner, the 23-year-old bay mare Tabita Mini Minx (Tabita Show Time - Gwendraeth Mari Lwyd, by Bengad White Pine), who was bred in Co Westmeath by Mary Dooner.

Also among the mini brigade, the show hunter pony championship was awarded to the 123cm class winner Lawkholme Apollo (Churchwood Troy - Lingardswood Amber, by Lingardswood Charlie Boy), a seven-year-old British-bred gelding ridden by Emily Casey for her father Jim. The mini Mountain and Moorland title went to the Lisa Griffin-owned, Fionn Redmond-ridden 10-year-old British-bred gelding Ronswood Silver Fox (Sarum Raphael - Friars Sweet Rose, by Penual Jacinth), who had earlier topped the final line-up in the first ridden class.

The starter stakes champion of the show was the very much in-form 12-year-old dun mare Darkly Julie who, ridden by Abbey Cassidy for her mother Catherine, had first caught the judges’ eyes in the show hunter pony section. The reserve starter stakes champion was the novice working hunter Phylberns Regag Bug, while the open starter stakes working hunter class winner was Gowehass Boy. At the opposite end of the scale, the show’s Intermediate champion was the Tom Cummins-bred seven-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare Rockroyal Kate Dream (Yaakooum - Elliots Girl, by Aldato), who was ridden by Aisling Haines.

Pauline Dahill’s journey up from Co Waterford paid dividends as she won the overall Connemara title with Gill and John Glynn’s very inexperienced four-year-old stallion Seafield Turnog Mossy (Drumbad Fletcher Moss - Furbo Primrose, by Atlantic Tiger. The day’s judges had great entries and judges were Cathy Cooper, Kate Rath-Doyle, Carole Douglas and Kathy Geoghehan.