Emer Bermingham
THE Irish Pony Society was well represented at the BSPS Championship Show at Arena UK in Grantham last week. After four days of intense showing, the Irish contingent came home with an impressive list of results.
It was a good outing for Anne Stanley’s 16-year-old Bob Marley, ridden by Shona Lynch, who won the 153cms working hunter pony Horse of the Year (HOYS) qualifier and went on to be crowned reserve champions.
Pauline Costello’s Morning Breeze ridden by Eabha Costello won the Challenge 133cms working hunter pony for the second consecutive year.
The Irish inter-country working hunter pony team of Lucy Hancock (Comical Con), Eliza Hancock (Porter Lady), Shona Lynch (Clonross Giselle) and Sadhbh Stassin Peelo (Dun For Now) were rewarded for their efforts when picking up fifth place.
In the mountain and moorland section, Rianna Marnane won the Heritage mountain and moorland novice 133cms working hunter pony class aboard Rose Dust March Mist.
In the showing classes, Rianna’s sister Amber, riding Sharlen Gone With The Wind, won the restricted 138cm show pony class and went on to win the restricted show pony championship. She was second in the Challenge 138cms show pony class and was later crowned the Champion Challenge show pony.
Following a last minute call-up, Amber also rode Dykes Diplomead for Sadhbh O’Connor in the Blue Division small breeds class, which she went on to win. O’Connor continued to impress, claiming second place in the Restricted Heritage small breeds class with Dykes Diplomead.
In the show hunter classes, Katie Wise on All That Jazz followed on from her Supreme of Show at the IPS Championship Show in Cavan with wins in the Classic Security 122cms show hunter pony and the Blue Division 122cms show hunter pony, going on to become reserve champion in both.
Ellie McDonald and her first ridden pony Banoffi Jaunker won The Barton Pretty Polly first ridden show pony of the year and the BSPS mini show pony champion.
The combination also went on to become the BSPS supreme mini champion.
Ellie won the restricted open 133cms of the year on her show hunter, Goldengrove Sunrise and became restricted show hunter champion winning the Hannah Wain Trophy, before going on to win the HOYS 133cms show hunter pony qualifier.
Emer Bermingham
JUST two points separated the English and Irish mounted games teams at the World Championships in Saint Denis le Ferment, France.
The Irish mounted games open team of Jake O’Connor, Alan Keogan, Kate O’Connor, Craig O’Connor and Jeamie Reavy secured the silver medal at the World Championships last Sunday week.
Competing against 16 other teams from the four corners of the globe, Ireland went in as clear favourites but, despite a gallant attempt, narrowly missed out on claiming the gold medal.
It was a nail-biting finish with the English team holding a three-point advantage going into the final speed weever race. Although Ireland pulled it out of the bag to win the final race, they failed to catch the English team.
The Irish open team dominated the qualifying rounds, finishing the heats top of the leader board after four sessions on 195 points. Their good form continued in the first part of the A final on Saturday night, taking the lead after the second race. At the halfway point, Ireland had accumulated 42 points, four points ahead of their closest rival England.
The Irish team continued to clock up the points, so much so that they finished the first part of the final on 82 points, 17 points ahead of England while France trailed behind on 61 points.
In the second part of the A final, Ireland and England battled it out from the start. In the first race, a mistake cost the Irish team and as a result they added four points to their tally. The pressure was well and truly on when in the pony pairs race, reigning champions New Zealand, along with Ireland, were eliminated.
With only three games to go, the Irish held a narrow lead of four points but the joust race saw the standings change with Ireland picking up two points, while England added four points to their tally to put them in the lead on 126 points.
In the penultimate race, Ireland accumulated five points while England added six points to their score. Although Ireland won the final race, England took second place ahead of France, which was enough to maintain their lead over Ireland.
A total score of 133 saw the English team of Chloe Golding, Mitch Lyons, Danny Spencer, Aron Tyler, Peter Walters and Janey Surman claim the gold ahead of Ireland on 131 points and France on 123 points.
Ireland’s junior under-17 team of Peter McCarthy, Philip Weldon, Graham Beirne, Niall Hughes and Andrew Devitt also put on a great display at the championships, finishing just outside the medals in fourth place.
Like their open counterparts, the junior team delivered a great result in the heats and tied with the host nation on 208 points.
However their final score after two rounds of the final saw them finish on 126 points, behind Wales on 130.
Taking the gold medal was the French team of Florian Gicquel, Lucas Courtaillac, Lucas Marion, Colin Verdelhan, Mael Vernerey and Zoe Chavanelle on 138 points, while England took silver on 132 points and Wales took bronze on 130 points.
MGA Ireland chairman Conor O’Leary said: “While there is some disappointment in the camp, we are all incredibly proud of both teams. Coming fourth and second in the World Championships is a brilliant achievement and demonstrates that the Irish remain a power in this equine discipline that requires huge agility and skill by both horse and rider.”
Irish mounted games riders will be in action again at the World Pair Championships, which takes place on September 12th-14th in Newark, England.
THIS WEEKEND
SHOW JUMPING
FRANCE
CAEN WORLD EQUESTRIAN GAMES
Sunday: individual final 14.00 GMT
Bertram Allen (Molly Malone V); Cameron Hanley (Antello Z); Darragh Kenny (Imothep); Denis Lynch (All Star 5); Conor Swail (Lansdowne).
Web: www.normandie2014.com
SANCOURT CSI**/*
Sunday: Grand Prix 14.00 GMT
CSI **: Roger McCrea (Witro)
CSI *: Roger McCrea (Sweet Cinnamon and Tulipe De Baudiere)
Email: mazy.pierre@wanadoo.fr Web: www.centreequestresancourt.com
SWITZERLAND
HUMLIKON CSI***
Sunday: Grand Prix 14.00 GMT
Jessica Kürten (Adoctro Zeldenrust, Arezzo VDL and VDL Zapatero)
Web: www.csi-Humlikon.ch
GERMANY
ISING AM CHIEMSEE CSI**/Amateurs/Under 25s
Sunday: Grand Prix 12.30 GMT
CSI **: Alex Duffy (Felix XXVIII, Idream and Wrangler II); Michael G. Duffy (Murchu).
CSI Am-A: Josephine Sorensen (Cony 9 and Fraeulein Wunder 5)
CSI U25: Josephine Sorensen (Savanna 30)
Web: www.pferdinternational-muenchen.de
EVENTING
BRITAIN
BURGHLEY CCI****
Aoife Clark (Fenya’s Elegance (ISH) and Vaguely North); Joseph Murphy (Sportsfield Othello (ISH)); Jim Newsam (Magennis (ISH)); Michael Ryan (Ballylynch Adventure (ISH)); Sarah Wardell (Killeenduff Boy (ISH)).
www.burghley-horse.co.uk