THE Mackey Equestrian/Irish Pony Club national hunter trial championships were held last Saturday at the Furnell family’s Ballycahane Equestrian in Crecora, Co Limerick, where the early arrivals were greeted by foggy, damp weather conditions which, unfortunately, got worse during the day.

With a massive entry, which had been capped at 480, the organisers were under pressure to keep the action going and the IPC’s Chair of Eventing, Ivan Hatton, was quick to praise his fellow committee members and all the volunteers – many past or present members of the IPC – for their efforts before and during the championships.

Hatton gave special mention to Branches in Area 9 for their help and thanked the Furnell family for providing the venue, with its excellent facilities, for the second year running, and for proper championship courses.

The championships provided the opportunity for Branch officials, members and their parents/guardians to meet Sharon Monahan, the recently-appointed Chief Executive Officer of the IPC.

“I was absolutely delighted to attend the hunter trials championships in my capacity as the first CEO of the Irish Pony Club,” Monahan told The Irish Field. “I was a member of the Irish Pony Club when growing up in Dundalk, Co Louth, and the Irish Pony Club gifted me a lifelong love of horses. With my legal qualification as an solicitor, Charity Law specialism from the Law Society of Ireland and my H.Dip in Equine Science from UCD, the CEO position is the most wonderful and challenging role of my career.

“It was an honour to represent the Irish Pony Club at my first championship event, and I am looking forward to many more successful days at the upcoming championships over the summer months.”

Sponsors Mackey Equestrian may have thought they were caught in a time warp as the winners of the featured Senior Teams of Three for the third year in succession was the Wexford Branch. The trio, who finished on five faults in 6 minutes 54 seconds, comprised two of last season’s winners – Cora Finn on Romeo and Molly Hennessy Murphy with My Late Find – plus newcomer Michael Bowe who partnered The Lady Grey Miller.

The Bray Bullets finished second (20 faults in 7.03) ahead of the Tipperary Toppers (30, 7.26) and the Scarteen Racers (50, 9.09). Disappointingly, these were the only four teams to start. “It’s a skill in itself to ride as a team of three but, to win for three years in a row, is just phenomenal,” commented Hatton on the result.

Three of just five duos who started in the Senior Pairs were eliminated. Here the honours went to the Duhallow Diamonds’ Sarah Archdeacon (Ballymac Buachaill) and Ella Lombard (Creggrush MacBride) whose five faults in 7.05 gave them the nod over the Island Stars who completed on 10 faults in 6.27.

The three members of the successful Wexford team all competed in the 25-runner Senior Singles competition which 14-year-old Cora Finn won on Romeo when posting one of just seven clear rounds in the fastest time of six minutes. Last year’s winner, Co Clare’s Aine Lane was thwarted in her bid to complete a double as she had to settle for second on Jackson’s Golden Dusk (0, 6.16) with the Longfords’ Aine Murray finishing third with Ballywlliam Polly (6.45).

The Kingdom

As Crecora is one of its nearest championship venues, it wasn’t surprising to see The Kingdom Branch so well-represented and it filled the top two placings in the Intro Intermediate Pairs competition where 11 combinations faced the starter.

On board Fountain Beauty, Jesscia Fuller, who won last year with Ellie Holmes, this time joined forces with Eabha Trant (Fort Arthur Heidi) and their Couch Potatoes’ score of clear in 4m.50secs narrowly saw off their teammates, the Crusaders, who, also unpenalised, crossed the line in 4.55. Only two other pairs went clear with the Clare Hawkes finishing third in 5.15.

Ten of the 37 starters in the Intro Intermediate Singles crossed the finishing line without jumping penalties and just four seconds divided the fastest of these. The North Tipperary and Ormond Branch’s Katie Gohery claimed the title in 4 minutes 30 secons on Fintan’s Bonnie Lady while Wexford’s Katie Costello had to settle for second on Tomello (4.34).

Fifty-one combinations were counted down in the Junior Pairs championship where the well-named, comprehensive winners were The Kingdom’s Unstoppables’ Greta Ziauberyte (Pontoon Lucky Lad) and Chloe Mangan (Alan Key) who stopped the clock on 4.25. Recording the fastest of the other nine clears were the Westmeath Legends, Orlagh O’Brien and Gemma Whyte (4.41).

Big field

A massive field of 112 IPC members started in the Junior Singles where the fastest of the 41 clear rounds was posted by the Ward Union’s Alice McCann on Kilroe Bui. Fourteen-year-old Alice stopped the clock on 4m19s which saw her score by a two-second margin from Offaly’s year younger Katelyn Forde riding Brooklawn Island Buachaill.

The Under 12s, who competed in the best of the weather, rode to optimum times.

There was a four-second margin also at this level in the Pairs championship where the honours went to the Golden Vale Velociraptors duo of Jack and Pierce Cullen who were home in 4m40s on Parknook Star and Dark Shadow respectively. The Wizards Hannah Kate Crosbie and Kitty Dalton placed second (4.36) for the Wexford Branch in this competition where nine of the 31 pairs were clear.

Seventy-seven young riders faced the starter in the Under 12s Singles Championship and, of these, 36 recorded clear rounds. The one who did so closest to the optimum time was North Tipperary and Ormond’s Mark Mahon who crossed the finish line in 4m.44secs on board Paulank Chaffinch. Reserve in the championship was Ciara Howard of the Duhallow Branch who stopped the clock on 4.47 riding My Misty Dawn.

For the second year running, the horn blowing competition for the Major Victor McCalmont Trophy was won by Duhallow Branch member David Kiely.

While Irish Pony Club hunter trial enthusiasts were converging on Crecora last Saturday morning, two teams of IPC members, plus trainers Alan Hatton and Joan Fox, were already in situ in Oswestry, Shropshire, for a friendly mounted games competition. This was hosted by the Berwyn and Dee Pony Club whose catchment area covers north Shropshire and the north-east of Wales. A report on this trip will be carried in the near future.