SUPPORTED by Connolly’s Red Mills, the Irish Pony Society held its annual hunter pony show last Sunday at Barnadown, where double points were on offer for end-of-year results.

There was a good variety of fences in the Derby field where the tracks, built by John Doyle and Felim O’Dowd, were first used in the performance classes. These were judged by Faith Ponsonby, whose winner of the championship for the Tiggy Hancock award was the 70cm class winner, Birkettbank Fergie.

Ridden for her mother Orla by Laura Mulqueen, this seven-year-old British-bred Fell gelding by Lunesdale Black Ice II won the class, ahead of the Polly Geraghty-ridden 19-year-old piebald gelding Stars At Night, who was to stand reserve.

Simon Beirne and Cathy Geoghegan, who judged the open working hunters, found their champion in the 143cm class, the Thalia Smithwick-owned, Isabel Smithwick-ridden 16-year-old Connemara mare Donode Don’t Forget (Bunowen Darragh - Donode Forget Me Not, by Prince Of Thieves). Imogen Lawless-Greene and Moonlite Gone With The Wind, who topped the final line-up in the 153cm class, had also been in winning form the previous day at Ballynort.

Donode Don’t Forget was to stand reserve in the Beirne and Geoghegan-judged Derby championship to the 153cm class winner Crannard Lockdown Shadow (Silver Shadow - Leamlara Talula, by Templebready Fear Bui). This six-year-old Connemara gelding was ridden by Ella Connolly for her mother Aisling. The prizes in the Derby section were sponsored by TRM.

The novice working hunters came under the scrutiny of Becky Walker and Nicola Miller, who were most impressed by their 153cm class winner, the Reuben McCann-ridden 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding VMS Jango Junior (Castlelawn Captain Junior - Roxboro Dolly, by Westside Hector).

Cian Greene stood reserve on the 133cm class winner Riticvalley Blue Topaz, a 19-year-old Welsh gelding who was purchased as a hunting pony from Rachel and Ollie Finnegan by Cian’s parents Jamie and Charlie in January. He then had a hogged mane, so it was only now, late in the season, that Jamie could get some plaits into his mane. She was so impressed with his performance at Barnadown that she is going to aim the chesnut at the Dublin working hunter qualifiers next year.

The aforementioned Imogen Lawless-Greene added to her weekend haul when landing the Fiona Goor-judged show hunter championship on Elizabeth Ryan’s six-year-old Traditional ISH gelding Ballycoskerry Jacobite (Jackaroo - Ashfield Isobel, by Trobadour). In the 153cm class, Lawless-Greene and the bay stood ahead of Ella Hammond and another traditionally-bred ISH, the 15-year-old Akbar mare Carrabeg Abrakabea.

The Toomey sisters, Daisy, Penny and Millie, all had a very successful day riding their grandmother Marianne Power’s Welsh gelding Rookery Haribo but, when the 12-year-old grey was crowned mini champion, it was for his achievements under Millie. The reserve was the eight-year-old Welsh mare Kengarth Sally, who was ridden for owners John and Lisa Baker by their daughter Harriet.

Rosita Dunne, who many will have seen on social media during the week promoting tomorrow’s Meath Hunt performance Derby at Nugentstown, won the show’s starter stakes championship with her grandmother Rita’s 12-year-old Welsh gelding Fontmell Jack Sparrow. Here, Millie Dalton filled the reserve slot on the 21-year-old skewbald gelding Frosthill Jackaroo.

Charlotte Goor was beckoned forward to claim the Intermediate championship on her mother Fiona’s 10-year-old ISH mare Ardville Whispering Hope (KAH Clintender - Ardville Killycairn, by Arkansas), with Aoife Haines standing reserve on the grey gelding PLS Hi Society, a seven-year-old son of Tjipke.

Jemma Farrell won the Mountain and Moorland/Connemara championship on her mixed heights ridden class winner Briars Arbutus (by Moortown Classic) ahead of the second in the same class, the Dahlia Durkan-ridden 14-year-old Connemara gelding Blackhill Bobby.