WHILE most of the sporting world’s interest late last week was centred on the deferred 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, members of the Irish Pony Club were more concerned with their three-day Festival at Barnadown which, too, failed to take place last year due to Covid-19.

Restrictions because of the pandemic put huge pressure on the heads of discipline – Kate Harvey (combined training and dressage), Syl Ryan (show jumping) and Chris Ahearne (mounted games) – to run the Festival in a safe and efficient manner but they were ably assisted in their endeavours by the office staff of Marisa Breen Bourke and Jennifer Byrne plus Nicola McCarthy, who is assisting them for the summer, and a large team of scorers and volunteers.