ON a very warm day, around 200 members of the Irish Pony Club competed at the Tipperarys’ leg of the Connolly’s Red Mills one-day event series at Grove last Sunday, including 10 from The Kingdom Branch in Co Kerry.

Delighted as they were with the success of their team in the All-Ireland minor football championship, the county’s young riders had even more reason to celebrate when Yvonne Daly scored a narrow victory in Section B of the Junior competition on board the 19-year-old grey gelding, Woodfield Prancer.

The host Branch recorded a four-timer, this coming on the back of a treble at Sleedagh the previous Wednesday. It started in the three-runner Open which was won by Hazel Barden with the eight-year-old Woodfield Sammy mare, Kilnaspic Lily, on whom she recently finished ninth in the CCIP2*-L at Kilguilkey House.

The result of the Intermediate class certainly wasn’t decided in the dressage arena as 17 of the 25 starters had at least one fence down show jumping while 10 of those who completed the cross-country phase failed to do so within the time allowed. Among those eliminated over the fixed obstacles was the South Union’s Lisa Horgan who had led after dressage with Castlemir Queen (22.8).

Five combinations completed on their flat work marks and it was close at the top with the Tipperarys’ Amelia Coghlan claiming the honours on the Connemara gelding Ballynagilly Fergie (31), an eight-year-old dun by Bobby Sparrow Blue, ahead of Waterford’s Orla Treacy who thought she had it in the bag on Caisleann Rí (32), a similarly-aged Irish Sport Horse gelding by the Connemara stallion Grange King’s Surf.

Eve Parrott topped the final leaderboard in the Junior, Section A with the Connemara pony Buffalo Soldier, a 22-year-old gelding by Ashfield Bobby Sparrow, and Leah O’Brien landed a comfortable victory for the Tipperary Branch in the Novice Junior with the 17-year-old mare Bee A Little Miss.

Only two riders manged to complete on their dressage scores in the Novice Intermediate and this pair filled the top two placings throughout. The winner, representing the Kildares, was Lauren Keatley riding the 14-year-old grey gelding Celoso LXII (29.3) while Amelia Green of Waterford finished runner-up on Gigolo B (??.

The Under 12s championship qualifier was divided. Section A was won by North Kilkenny’s Mia Perry on board the 10-year-old skewbald mare Mulveys Marble while, from the neighbouring Kilkenny Branch, Eve Perry fared best in Section B with the 19-year-old bay gelding Daddys Dollars.

The Novice Under 12s class went the way of Westmeath member Ruby Brennan who recorded the only double clear inside the time on the nine-year-old skewbald mare, Ashdale Rosie.

The Killinick Branch held its Red Mills qualifier last Wednesday week at Sleedagh, Murrintown where, despite the mid-week date, eight arenas were required to stage nine classes catering for an entry of over 180.

Action-packed

While there was no Open class, it was great to see two well-filled Intermediate sections both of which were won by members of Branches in Area 4. In Arena 1, only two combinations completed on their dressage scores, Alannah Kelly of the Island with her EI100 (J) mount Milshogue Bailey (31 penalties), an 11-year-old ISH gelding by Kroongraaf, and Wexford’s Henry Seebach riding Sahara Breeze (31.75).

Five combinations recorded double clears inside the time in Arena 2 where the runaway winner by a 10-point margin was the host Branch’s Isabelle Barry on the Connemara pony Kildromin Mentor, an eight-year-old son of Carraig Éibhir. The Killinicks doubled up in the Novice Junior through Kate Walsh on Rathmanna Check while the Island Branch brought up its double in Section A of the Under 12s won by Alison Dunne on Crimson And Clover.

The Tipperary Branch had three winners among its starting line-up – Rachel Foley on Allez Amour (Intro Intermediate), Kate Walsh with Beechtree Watchful (Junior, Section C) and Evie Kennedy with Ballymurray Star (Under 12s, Section A). The other two Junior winners were Emily Slater representing Carlow on For Sure and Wicklow’s Izzy Barrett riding Knockbridge Just Jimmy.

Tomorrow, the Kildare Branch runs its leg of the Connolly’s Red Mills series at Punchestown.