TWO veteran ponies were in action at the Kildare/North Leinster Area pony show in Tattersalls Ireland on Sunday and both gave an excellent account of themselves.

The 25-year-old My Starlight has lived most of his life opposite the Co Meath venue with the Bryne family but has recently been residing in Co Tipperary where he has been well-used as a schoolmaster by Andy Kennedy.

As the young rider is now moving on to a bigger pony, the pair had their final outing together on Sunday when having finished second to the Buddy Cully-owned, Clara Cully-ridden Chapel Lane Trigger in the cradle stakes, they won the mini championship and finished reserve in the mini supreme championship to the mini Mountain and Moorland champions, the Kathy Curley-owned, Keelan Curley-ridden Pantycoed Mercutio, a six-year-old chesnut/roan gelding by Dirion Ffloyd.

Anne Stanley’s Hilltop Festy can never be discounted on age grounds and here, under his latest jockey Niamh Prone, the Connemara gelding proved to be as good as ever, starting off his outing in the performance jumping section by finishing fourth over the 60cms track.

Once faced with a bigger challenge however, the 29-year-old son of Ashfield Festy came into his own and the Thomas Mullen-bred grey, who Stanley collected at a sale in Tattersalls 26 years ago, won the 70cms class. When it came to the championship however, Prone and Hilltop Festy had to settle for the reserve slot behind the 60cms class winners, Andy Kennedy and his mother Maeve’s Casper The Ghost, a relatively young rival at 11 years of age.

Successful outing

SKERRIES breeder/producer Ann Grimes arrived at the Kildare/North Leinster Area pony show at Tattersalls Ireland on Sunday with a prize and sash for the winner of the Lambay Stud youngstock championship but left for home with them, and more, following an excellent outing for Sianwood Pretty Penny.

A palomino filly by Waxwing Penny Whistle out of the Sianwood Goldrush mare Sianwood Bayleaf, the Welsh Section B two-year-old was bred by the Sianwood Stud in Wales. She won her class ahead of Ashleigh Tate and Carole Farrell’s Loughmore Vegas while, in the championship, she stood ahead of the two and three-year-old show hunter class winner, Parkhill That’s Amore, who was one of a number of ponies exhibited at the show by Co Antrim’s Elaine Sherrard.