THE organising committee of the Carr & Day & Martin/Irish Pony Club winter triathlon final thought they had all the bases covered for last Sunday’s competition, with the venues for the swimming, shooting and running phases being in very close proximity.

However, they reckoned without the persistent and heavy rain, which fell on Friday and Saturday, causing the River Barrow behind the K Leisure Centre to overflow, so the running phase had to be moved. Thankfully, the very obliging Athy Rugby Club allowed IPC members representing 27 Branches access to their grounds on the Dublin Road.

Among the eight winners, two names jumped out as they have become well-known for their exploits in Tetrathlon, both here and in Britain.

The senior boys’ competition was won by West Waterford’s Peter Verling whose total of 2,833 points included 1,165 for winning the running phase. The Ward Union’s Jed Collins, another Tetrathlon regular, finished second overall on 2,829 ahead of North Kilkenny’s Sean Cooke 2,735. The last-named won both the swimming (1,188) and the shooting (820) phases.

On 2,704 points, Kildare’s Ellie Dillon ran out the winner of the senior girls’ competition, with Victoria Roche of the Duhallow Branch finishing second on 2,694. Amazingly, two Leitrim Branch members, Grace Quinn and Hanora Brady, shared third place on 2,600. Dillon won the run with 1,012 points while Roche shared the top spot in the swim with Quinn (1,116) before claiming the shooting phase on 850.

The Killinick Branch squad included three winners, starting with Joe Codd who topped the scores in the junior boys’ on 3,012 points, just eight ahead of Duhallow’s Edward Healy (3,004). The West Waterford’s Oisin Whelan finished third on 2,984.

The Duhallows claimed the junior girls’ final thanks to the efforts of Caroline Roche whose excellent swim saw her complete on 3,071 points. In this very well-filled class, Wexford’s Emma Hickey slotted into second on 3,062 with third place being filled by West Waterford’s Margaret Verling on 2,977.

Representing the Killinick Branch, brothers Max and Scott Doran won the two-phase (no shooting) boys’ minimus and fledgling finals.

Galway Mid County Pony Club member Harry Murphy, third overall in the Minimus boys class at the Winter Triathlon Final in Athy

Minimus

First up, 11-year-old Max dominated the minimus class where he won the swim (1,032) and the run (1,168) for a total of 2,200 points. This score left him well clear of Carlow’s Jack Hargaden (2,072) with Galway Mid County’s Harry Murphy finishing third on 2,032.

In the fledgling division, the result was a lot tighter, with nine-year-old Scott Doran running out the winner on 1,792 points, ahead of Galway Mid County’s Alex Walch (1,740) and Co Limerick’s Sean Foster (1,736). Doran finished second (864) in the swim to Co Limerick’s George Kennedy (920) while three competitors earned 1,036 points in the run, Co Limerick’s Matty Cregan, Clare’s Oran Cummins and Luke Murphy of the Island Branch.

The Co Limerick Branch did bag a title in the girls’ minimus final where, thanks to her winning run (1,156), the scoreboard was topped by Grace Power on a total of 2,220 points. Her winning exploits in the pool, which garnered 1,144 points, helped Kilkenny’s Caroline Hughes claim the runner-up spot on 2,174. Duhallow’s Ciara Howard placed third on 2,150.

The Scarteen Branch came to the fore in the girls’ fledgling final, won by Georgina Purcell on 1,904 points. The swim phase winner on 936 points, North Kilkenny’s Molly Clarke (936) placed second overall on 1,870 points with her teammate, Nancy Lyons Teehan, finishing third on 1,864. A score of 1,072 secured victory in the run phase for Co Limerick’s Petra Barry.

This weekend, the focus of attention moves north to Castle Irvine, Necarne, where, for the first time, Area 17 of The Pony Club is holding its own dedicated Barrier Health Spring Festival in arena eventing, dressage and show jumping. A raffle is being held this evening to raise funds for their trip to the Royal Windsor Show in May for the Area’s dressage team.