LAST weekend, 10 Minimus athletes, all members of various Branches of the Irish Pony Club, travelled to Catterick in north Yorkshire to compete in the North of England Tetrathlon - Minimus International Tetrathlon where, out of 10 international teams, the Irish finished first and second.

Following the swim, shoot and run phases, the team of Sahara Smith (Cavan), Tom O’Rourke (South Westmeath) Phoebe Horgan (Ward Union), Skyla Nally (Wicklow) and Tristan Howard (Nenagh) were in first place. However, the team of Lucy Martin (Kildare), Ella Lombard (Duhallow), Niall Fitzerald (Kildare), Andrew Hensen (South Westmeath) and Jaime Hargaden (Carlow) had a slightly better cross-country riding phase and went on to win.

Henson won the boys’ individual competition as he had done at the IPC/Johnson & Perrott Land Rover national Minimus championships in Millstreet earlier in the month. It was a great weekend and the squad had a wonderful experience throughout.

Hat-trick for Island Branch

The third of four qualifiers for the Irish Pony Club’s senior mounted games competition at the Dublin Horse Show was held last Saturday at Charleville Show where the Island Branch completed a hat trick of victories.

With 30 points, the Island hold a seven-point advantage over Duhallow (23) with the Kildares just one point behind in third (22). They are followed by Wexford (20), Shillelagh (19), Laois (17) and Meath (16). The final qualifier will be staged at Carnew Show in Co Wicklow on Saturday, July 20th.

Area qualifiers in full swing

This is a particularly busy time of the year for Pony Club members throughout Ireland.

In Area 17 of The Pony Club, today’s Area Dressage (supported by TRI Northern Ireland) is being hosted by the Fermanagh Branch at The Meadows Equestrian Centre outside Lurgan while the Area Show Jumping, hosted by the Killultagh Branch, takes place at the same venue on Monday (July 8th).

The cross-country course at Dirraw Farm Equestrian near Finvoy will be closed from Monday in advance of the Area Tetrathlon and Triathlon competition as the running and riding phases will be hosted there by the Mid Antrim Branch on Saturday next, July 13th. The shooting and swimming phases will be held at the Joey Dunlop Leisure Centre the following day.

On the Irish Pony Club fixture list, Connolly’s Red Mills eventing qualifiers take place tomorrow at Ballycahane, Crecora (hosted by the Co Limerick Branch) and on Sunday week, July 14th, at Stradbally Hall where it will be hosted by the Laois Branch.

The Killinicks’ mid-week qualifier will be held on Wednesday, July 17th, in Sleedagh, Murrintown.

Area qualifiers for the IPC Festival and the Dublin Horse Show combined training classes are also scheduled throughout this week and over next weekend.