ALL but one of the 20 squads who contested the Under 12s team competition at last weekend’s Connolly’s Red Mills/Irish Pony Club national eventing championships completed the three-phase challenge at Tattersalls.

The young riders were delighted with their cross-country course which caught out just one competitor, who had multiple stops in the team championship, while four combinations were eliminated in Saturday’s show jumping phase.

The winners of the team title on a penalty score of 86 were the Tipperary Toppers comprising Evie Kennedy on the Connemara gelding Ballymurray Star, a 17-year-old grey by Glenayre Silver Fox, Sarah Kennedy riding the 13-year-old Connemara Savanose Bobby, a dun gelding by Gloves Bobby, Arena 10 winner Lucy Doyle who also claimed the dressage rosette with the former Grade A pony Who’s Jardan B, a 16-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding by Woodrow Carisbrooke, and Maggie Anthony on the amazing 22-year-old gelding Carriganog Rince whose previous riders have included Joseph, Ana and Donnacha O’Brien, all former Tipperary Branch members.

Carriganog Rince also once represented the Kildares whose Green team finished second on 89 penalties. That quartet was made up of Hogan Byrne (Doonkinane Splash), Suvi-Helene Cully (Freddy), Robyn Dempsey (Seldom Seen Kid) and Ellen O’Neill (Bronellys Sandeman). Narrowly beaten into third on 90.8 were the Island Sharks (Oisin Goff, Alison Dunne, Susan O’Brien and Caoimhe Spacey).

Four arenas were in use for this team championship and the other three winners were the Duhallow Dashers’ Caroline Roche on Lissarulla Smokey (31.5), Alison Dunne of the Island Sharks who also won the dressage rosette on Crimson And Clover (23.5) and Kildare White’s Isabelle Walsh riding Hello Gooch (28.3). Saturday’s remaining dressage rosettes went to Laois Legends’ Maya Byrne Moran on Far Away Tale (29) and the Carlow Rockets’ Ellie Kavanagh riding Inishturkbeg Cloisin (27.8).

There were 18 starters in the Under 12s individual championship where North Kilkenny’s Mia Perry comfortably claimed the title, and the dressage rosette, when completing on her first phase score of 21.8 penalties with the 20-year-old skewbald mare Mulveys Marble. It was close for second and third with South Westmeath’s Amelie Henson and Doogarry Odd Socks (29.3) finishing just ahead of Nenagh’s Charlie Cairns on Creggrush Summer (29.8).

The turn-out awards for the dressage phase were won by the Laois Legends team of Maya Byrne Moran, Ellie Maher, Mai Monahan and Holly Gee with Amelia Henson claiming the individual prize.