THE 2017 Stepping Stones to Success League, which commences on Wednesday, March 29th and runs each Wednesday until Finals Day on April 26th, will see the introduction this year of a new event pony competition. Organisers Orla and Pat Peare have reverted to holding all legs of the league at their Wexford Equestrian Centre outside Tomhaggard where Dereck Hamilton again takes over the role as course designer in the Derby arena.
Shires Equestrian and Botanica are once more on board as sponsors of the four-year-old league and five-year-old league respectively, offering a prize-fund of over €6,000 for these two well-established competitions for which the rules remain the same. The Irish Horse Welfare Trust will again sponsor the thoroughbred section, while the new pony league is to receive support from Ourlartleigh Equestrian.
Horses competing in the thoroughbred series can be of any age, be raced or unraced but must have been named with Weatherbys (unnamed four or five-year-olds can compete in the regular Leagues).
They can have done any amount of showing and one year or less of unaffiliated eventing or show jumping. In a change from last year however, an affiliated eventing record is not permitted for this season’s entrants.
There will be a bonus prize for the highest-placed former racehorse. Conformation will not be judged in this class.
There will be a prize-fund of €1,500 for the thoroughbred League as there will be for the pony League, which is open to four to seven-year-old 138cms to 148cms animals deemed suitable for eventing. The four-year-old Stepping Stones dressage test and jumping course will be used in this class.
Riders can be any age but must be suitable for the height of pony, while those under 16 will require a trainer’s letter of competence or have completed the Mackey Bar 1 training. Ponies can have no more than one year’s affiliated competition on their record or two years’ unaffiliated competition in any discipline. This class will take place at the end of the day to accommodate schoolgoers.