THE success of last year’s inaugural Sports Pony Challenge could not only be judged by the large crowd who attended this season’s first qualifier at Killossery Lodge Stud on Tuesday but also by the enthusiasm and drive exhibited by the organisers and their vast band of volunteers.

“Having good people on the ground is vital,” said Lorli Higgins whose daughter Alice was co-opted to look after the electronic scoring. “Everyone who helped knew exactly what to do and when do it which kept the whole event running smoothly throughout the day. Some like Suzanne Garrigan and Anne Stanley, who were on call-up duty in the morning, were soaked being out in the rain but they kept everyone moving and everything went to time.”

Dressage, which was judged in the morning by Clare Fitzsimons and Bernie Webb, took place in the outdoor sand arena. The performance working hunter phase was judged in the indoor by Faith Ponsonby over a testing track designed by Frank Glynn which included a water tray. On the day, the changing height of the fences was measured by Louise McEnteggart who, in the afternoon, built the show jumping course back outside in the sand.

The Challenge shows how standards improve through the proper production of ponies and training of riders and breeders would do well to take note of the type of pony required for modern performance classes.

Competitors came from all over the country but the locals held their own with Anna Byrne winning the 153cms class on the home-bred Fairyhouse Coco. An aptly-named winner for the time of year, the eight-year-old dun mare is by Tullaghansleek’s Connemara stallion Gwennic de Goariva out of a thoroughbred mare by Supreme Leader. From the Donabate side of Killossery, Zoe Bolton won the 143cms section with the 11-year-old bay mare Tilly B.

Carlow’s Tiggy Hancock had her usual busy day and qualified out of the 133cms section with the eight-year-old grey gelding Corries Jack In A Box. Ruby Maher recorded a very comprehensive success in the Intermediate class on the British-bred Unbelievable Honour, a 13-year-old bay gelding by Unbelievable Darco.

CONNEMARAS

Some of the country’s top performance Connemaras were in action and it was the Co Louth-produced Killaan Blu, an eight-year-old grey by Laerkens Cascade Dawn, who, partnered by Elise Dawson, won the class for riders under 16 while the class for older riders went to the similarly-aged Martan Phaidin Mhoir mare Carnaree Phaidin’s Cailin who was ridden by her owner, Sabrina Aittigrine who too hails from the Wee County.