THE decision to run qualifiers for the Sports Pony Challenge outside the Pale this year hasn’t paid off and a poor turn-out at Galway Equestrian Centre last Saturday was followed by the announcement that the qualifier scheduled for Maryville on Sunday next, May 26th, has been cancelled.

It is hoped that an alternative date and venue can be found for the fifth and final qualifier ahead of the final at Mullingar EC on Thursday, June 27th. The series has had some dedicated followers since its commencement in mid-March but others are only now ready for the Challenge, the stronger working hunter tracks and, hopefully, selection for the Europeans in Wales in August.

Tiggy Hancock is relentless in her search for success and she recorded a third successive victory in the 143cms division on Monarch Of The Glen. The 16-year-old brown gelding, who is owned by Sarah Riley and Katie Bartlett, won the dressage and show jumping phases but, in the performance working hunter, could only finish second to his sole rival, the first round winner, Shroughan Pride Lightwater, who was partnered by Ruby Hughes for owner Gina McCann.

In the 133cms class, Co Carlow-based Hancock had to settle for second place overall with Corries Jack In A Box as the honours went to Co Wicklow’s Sarah Keane who, following her win in the show jumping phase, topped the scores with her mother Jane Hobson’s 19-year-old dun gelding, Brimstone Bowman.

Wins in both the dressage and show jumping phases of the 153cms class ensured victory for Dublin rider Isabelle Nally and the well-known Connemara gelding Benny Liath. The 11-year-old Earl Of Newbridge gelding completed on 285 points as Co Tipperary’s Rhianna Marnane finished second with the recent Northern Ireland Festival pony working hunter champion, Dartans Atom Man.

Marnane’s sister Amber won all three phases of the two-runner Connemara class for riders under 16 with their mother Melanie’s 10-year-old Fernville Danny gelding Danny’s Pride while the class for riders over 16 went to the local combination of Jane Field and the similarly-aged True Commotion gelding, Clonmoylan Red Hugh.

There was a double of sorts for the Fields as Jane’s sister Lara won the combined training class with their mother Marjorie Hardiman’s Glandrine Pied Piper, the 13-year-old Knockskeagh Prince gelding on which, as a member of the Galway Mid County Branch, Lara won the Under 12s’ competition at the recent Irish Pony Club national dressage day at Spruce Lodge.