THERE has been much talk on the horse showing circuit this year of the drop in entries in youngstock classes, something that those in the pony ranks have faced for a long time.

Last Sunday, the organisers of the Irish Pony Society annual hunter pony show at Barnadown advertised just three in-hand classes with judges Marion Condren and Rachel Bennett Hamilton finding their champion in the first of these which was for yearlings, two and three-year-olds likely to make a show hunter pony.