THERE is also plenty happening in Area 17 of The Pony Club (Northern Ireland) with the first running of the Spring Championships in dressage, show jumping and arena eventing taking place today at The Meadows.

Last Saturday, the Mid-Antrim Branch hosted a two-phase competition at the Laurel View Equestrian Centre where the winners were Karina McVeigh on Cococabana (75cms), Lizzy Rankin with Tony The Pony (85cms) and Emma Ewing riding Murph (95cms).

Also last weekend, seven members of Area 17 travelled to Dallas Burston polo club in Cheshire to compete in the 2023 Pony Club Arena Challenge. Four players were in mixed PC teams and there was one Area Junior Team, the North Down, who finished third in the Open Junior Plate.

Individually, Zac Hanna’s team won the Novice Minis, Mia Lewis’s team came third in the Novice Juniors, Eloise Keers’s team was fourth in the Open Junior Cup and Sean McManus’s team won the Inter Seniors. Zac also crowned the best No. 1. Eloise, Sean, Bailey McGuille, Max Lewis and Annabelle Gill received prizes for the 2022 Pony Club Polocrosse League.

Representing Area 17, the Iveagh Branch and the East Antrim Branch competed in the Mini and the Junior/Senior Pony Club national quiz finals in Northampton on Saturday. At home on the same day, some members of the Seskinore Branch braved the inclement weather to attend the Fermanagh Hunt point-to-point at Castle Irvine, Necarne.