LAST Sunday, the Carlow Hunt Branch of the Irish Pony Club hosted the first triathlon/biathlon qualifier of 2026, initially welcoming swimmers to the pool in Graiguecullen and then moving on to Carlow Hurling Club for the shoot and run phases.

As is the norm, the total of girls competing outnumbered the boys - although the difference wasn’t so great at Senior level. North Kilkenny’s Sean Cooke, who topped the swim and run scores, amassed 2,721 points when seeing off four rivals to win the boys’ class. The Islands’ John Asple James, who won the shoot, finished second on 2,609.