THE penultimate TRI Equestrian-sponsored RDS pony qualifier was hosted by the Fagan family at Mullingar Equestrian Centre, where the ponies were accommodated in the main grass arena and sand arena 1 and the young riders in the new International sand arena.

Course designer Killian Clarke ensured that pony and rider combinations were well tested over challenging but fair tracks.

The 148cms qualifier featured 64 starters from which 12 produced the required first round clear. Six of these remained on a zero score and jumped off again, safe in the knowledge that they were all qualified.

Robbie Clancy and Bertie Brown, one of only three combinations to finish on a zero score, stopped the clock in 30.41 to take the win and fill his quota. Also filling her quota was Abby Morton as she took second place on Tynan Bo Bo Bear by breaking the beam in 32.52.

Cormac Foley qualified two from this class as he finished in third with Another Destiny (0/0/0/34.66) and sixth on Crown Jewel (0/0/8/47.72). Michael Pender filled his quota when taking fourth on Clive Swindell’s Cul Ban Mistress (0/0/4/31.34), while Jennifer Kuehnle earned a qualification on the veteran Our Foreman (0/0/8/34.23).

QUALIFYING

The final qualifying place went to Patrick Hickey on New Forge Lady as the fastest combination with four faults from the first jump off.

The 128cms qualifier had 58 combinations trying to gain the coveted ticket to the RDS. Twenty-eight jumped a first round clear with 13 of these going into the second jump-off.

Nine of these young athletes remained on a zero score, the fastest of these being Ashley Dunne on Wingland Heloise (29.10). Dunne also claimed third place on her already qualified Camizion (30.47).

Second place was won by Darragh Sharkey on Lisboy Black Magic (29.23). This pair, having already qualified left the next qualifying place to Tom Wachman as he finished in fourth on PARC Epic 32.34. Previously qualified Niamh McEvoy and Sparkling Majestic Ceaser took fifth place in 33.06 so the next RDS place went to Rhys Williams on PARC Giggles as he filled his quota when stopping the clock in 34.82 to take sixth place.

The 138cms division featured 35 starters, of which 11 jumped clear in the first round. Five of those riders had already qualified or filled their quota so the remaining six were safe in the knowledge that they had secured their ticket to Simmonscourt in August. As a result, this class went straight to the second jump off for class placings.

Jason Foley was on fire, putting three ponies into the jump-off and winning with Ferrybank Roy when they produced the fastest of the five double clear rounds. His time of 32.81 was three seconds clear of his closest rival, Lucy Shanahan on Creative Dancer 35.84.

Foley took third place with Kiltormer Hero (37.32), with Leah Stack finishing in fourth on Shaman Sundance (42.24). James McOwan and Leiter Ben took fifth place in 43.61 as Foley and Bear Me In Mind had the fastest time of 31.37 but unfortunately rolled a pole for four faults.

Completing the pony qualifiers was the 148cms six and seven-year-old class, where there were 59 starters with 24 clears from the first round.

STORMED

With 15 six-year-olds and nine seven-year-olds moving into the first jump-off, this was further reduced to six in the six-year-old and three in the seven-year-old category in the second jump-off. The winner came from the seven-year-old division as Ciaran Nallon and Judy Murphy’s Javas Lady Bug stormed home clear in 33.55. Together with Nallon’s already qualified 138cms Ballygawley Braveheart, this means he is double-handed going into the RDS.

Second to fifth places were all won by six-year-olds with the fastest of these being Eva Boland on Miss Bailey (37.85) followed by Jessica Kuehnle on River Cassanova (39.77). This palomino stallion won the National Pony Discovery title in Millstreet last year and now makes his way to the RDS.

Sean Monaghan booked his first ticket to Dublin on Shirsheen Cruiser as they finished in fourth place (42.54), with the already qualified Revel Diamond ridden by Gavin Daly taking fifth place. The final qualifying places went to Cian Harrison, who steered Robert Harrison’s seven-year-old Look Out Mr Jones to sixth place, and Olivia Roulston and the seven-year-old Annaghmore Boomahontas.

The final TRI-sponsored pony qualifier takes place today at Barnadown on Saturday, July 4th.