THE Irish Pony Society held its summer championships show last Thursday week at the Mullingar Equestrian Centre where it was always going to be a long day despite the fact that not all 78 classes advertised across the four arenas were contested.

The judges’ panel comprised Britain’s Simon Luck and Jeffrey Grace and the home-based Mairead Ryan, David Kirkpatrick, Cathy Geoghegan Curley, Mary Carter, Nicola Miller and Virginia Russell Wood. Course builder for the day was Shane Brooks.

The show received title sponsorship from TopSpec and Glas Services, backed up by support from Kilbride Equestrian Centre, Show Pony Prep Ireland, Grenane House Stud plus Greenacres Equestrian and Stud. While there were some heavy downpours at times, the weather wasn’t as bad as had been forecast.

Thanks to their generous and eagle-eyed maternal grandmother Geraldine Power, who spotted him for sale online in August 2023, the Toomey sisters Penny, Millie and Daisy Toomey have a wonderful pony to ride and compete in Rookery Haribo. The now 12-year-old Welsh gelding arrived in their yard the evening before Iverk show in 2023 and started winning for them the next day.

“He’s a little gem,” said the girls’ mother Marianne Power of the Uphill James Fox bay. “While Penny and Millie compete on him at shows, Daisy (four) has been riding him at Pony Club rallies (she is a member of the Waterford Branch) and he really looks after her.”

At last year’s IPC championships at Hollypark Stables, which was a two-day fixture, Millie and Rookery Haribo finished reserve supreme. So, despite the late hour at Mullingar, the five-year-old rider was determined to hold on for the finale and it proved the correct decision as she and Rookery Haribo were crowned supreme champion of the show ahead of Annarose Scott on Goldengrove Moulin Rouge.

En route to the supreme, Millie and Rookery Haribo won their mini lead rein show hunter class plus their mini lead rein working hunter class and the mini working hunter championship. Penny (eight) partnered the grey to victory in the mini show hunter beginner first ridden class while she also had a good show on Rookery Boomerang, winner of the working hunter cradle stakes and reserve to his stable companion.

“The ponies aren’t related but, coming from the same source, they are both very well produced and equally as kind and nice,” said Marianne, a veterinary surgeon like her husband Bill Toomey who was on hand to assist at Mullingar. “It was a really great show and we had a super day,” she continued. “Daisy also rode and won the Mountain and Moorland lead rein class on Abbervalley Charmeur.”

As she is now old enough to ride at Dublin, Millie is very much looking forward to competing in the show hunter pony lead rein class at the Ballsbridge showgrounds on Rookery Haribo who Penny will partner in the first ridden class. Daisy will, no doubt, be dreaming of the day she will get to partner the grey at Dublin when, at that stage, the dream will be that of 18-month-old Max.

Moulin Rouge

Annarose Scott held off on her plans for Dublin this year until she had completed her Leaving Cert exams but the 19-year-old is now focussed on the show where she will ride her mother Claire’s Irish Sport Horse mare Goldengrove Moulin Rouge in the 153cms show hunter pony class.

Bred in Co Wexford by Garry Stephenson, the six-year-old chesnut by Tullabeg Fusion is out of the Ramiro B mare Woodvill Girl who is dam previously of the Lansdown gelding Elmo (CCI4*-S) and of the Abbeyfield Comet gelding Duniro (CCI3*-S).

“I went to see her as an unbroken three-year-old at Scarteen where Jason Furlong was producing her for Garry,” revealed the owner. “I liked her type and she was just what we were looking for her. Jason backed her and then we took her home. She’s only 152cms but is bulky and stands up well in her class against ponies who are higher on the stick.

“I can see her jumping in the future but, as this is just her second season competing, we aren’t rushing her. She and Annarose were reserve supreme at the Clare county show in Ennis (Sunday, July 12th) and then, just days later, went reserve supreme at Mullingar. My daughter Emily also had a good show at Mullingar on Goldengrove Juliet, finishing second in both her show hunter and part-bred classes. There were also a lot of Goldengrove-bred or previously produced ponies among the winners.”

Two champions

The Co Donegal-based Team Torrens had a good show with two champions, viz the 13-year-old Cynhinfa Crackerjack gelding Rosegate Valentine, who was partnered by Jocelyn Hutchinson to win the equitation title, while Ben Cousins landed the open show hunter pony championship on the five-year-old ISH gelding Highview Handsdown (by Big Time Ginger).

Aine Geoghegan’s Holthall Gladiator maintained his winning streak here when claiming the novice mini ridden championship while also continuing their good run of form were Lily Nadir and the ISH mare Country Strong, a 14-year-old daughter of Mermus R, winners of the performance jumping championship. Brooke Kenny will head to Dublin with the family’s six-year-old Silver Shadow gelding Cupid’s Magic Shadow buoyed up by their win at Mullingar in the Connemara working hunter championship.