THERE were emotional scenes in Hungary, when the tricolour was hosted high in honour of the individual gold medal win by Wexford’s Harry Allen and the individual silver won by Athlone’s Kate Derwin on Sunday, capping a golden weekend for the Irish show jumping pony team at the Championships in Kaposvar.

It was the second European pony gold for the Allen household, with Harry clinching the same title seven years after his older brother Bertram (21) took gold at Bishop Burton, Britain, riding Acapella. And it turned out that they were both wore the exact same jacket after Bertram’s old jacket was called back into play after Harry’s jacket was nowhere to be seen when they were packing up the lorry for Hungary.

A lucky green shade it turned out to be and Harry (16) and his great mare Cassandra van het Roelhof (15) completed five rounds of competitive show jumping with only a single time fault to their name.

Allen, a pupil at Newtown School in Waterford, entered the final round tied with Britain’s Eleanor Hall-McAteer and Tixylix on a zero score. Allen jumped first and finished with just a time fault which guaranteed him a medal but he had to wait until the final rider jumped to see what colour it would be.

Last to go, Eleanor Hall McAteer finished with eight faults which meant Harry Allen was crowned the new European Pony Show Jumping Champion.

But if anyone watching on tenderhooks thought that was glory enough for Ireland for one day, an outstanding clear final round from Athlone’s Kate Derwin and the Clive Swindell-owned Connemara Pony, Cul Ban Mistress, saw them add to Ireland’s medal haul, as they secured the individual silver medal to make it an Irish one-two.

Kate, a student at Our Lady’s Bower in Athlone, finished with just four faults over the five rounds of jumping and the 15-year-old completed a remarkable day by singing the Irish national anthem on the podium as she and Harry Allen collected their medals.

Sweden’s Cora Hirn took the bronze medal with Miskaun Harvey.

Incredibly, that was still not it for the young Irish squad.

Another top-10 placing was on the card, this time from Seamus Hughes-Kennedy, a pupil at St Kieran’s College in Kilkenny and a nephew of Irish international show jumper Marion Hughes. He produced a superb performance with Cuffesgrange Cavalidam (ISH) to finish in seventh place on the final standings.

Mayo’s Ciaran Nallon with Rextor d’Or finished 15th, with Cork’s Abbie Sweetnam and Dynamite Spartacus (ISH) in 21st to round up dominant performances from the Irish pony riders at the Pony European Championships 2017.