WHILE most of the sporting world’s interest late last week was centred on the deferred 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, members of the Irish Pony Club were more concerned with their three-day Festival at Barnadown which, too, failed to take place last year due to Covid-19.

Restrictions because of the pandemic put huge pressure on the heads of discipline – Kate Harvey (combined training and dressage), Syl Ryan (show jumping) and Chris Ahearne (mounted games) – to run the Festival in a safe and efficient manner but they were ably assisted in their endeavours by the office staff of Marisa Breen Bourke and Jennifer Byrne plus Nicola McCarthy, who is assisting them for the summer, and a large team of scorers and volunteers.

IPC chairman Michael Essame thanked all for running what he termed “a very successful and enjoyable IPC Festival,” adding, “it was good to see so many happy faces enjoying the competitions.”

One team who enjoyed the TRI-sponsored show jumping section more than most were the Mighty Islands who, on Friday, recorded their Branch’s first ever success in the John Ledingham Intermediate championship. Completing on the only zero score following two rounds of jumping were Angelica McGee (Abbeybrook Aurora), Ava Dowley (Fandero Hoy), Emma Carton (Sweet Melody of Menlo) and Lauren Spencer (Kyle Lad).

On a day when the weather disappointingly turned colder and wetter, the Clare Owls finished second on four faults with Ward Union Green placing third on eight. The best turned-out squad was the Wicklow Dream Team.

The Robbie Bailey championship also took place on Friday and here time played a big role as so many teams finished their two rounds on zero.

The winners in 98.57 seconds were the Kildare Orange quartet of Daniel Sargent (Halal’s Magic), Bonnie O’Neill (New Copse Blackjack), Andrew Moore (Epic Wildfire) and Keelagh Mannion (The Prince/Rocky). The Carbery Stripes finished second in 102.2 with the Offaly Pony Club in third on 103.65. Here, the turn-out team award was divided between the Tipperary Tigers and the Ward Union Stars.

Those involved in promoting racing among the younger generation should note the fact that the Waterford Branch named many of their teams at the IPC Festival after trainer Henry de Bromhead’s winners at the Cheltenham and Aintree Festivals.

Two of their squads were involved in the close finish to the Alice Mernagh Under 12s championship on Thursday and it was the team named after the Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Minella Indo which won in 100.45 seconds while that named after the Grand National winner, Minella Times, had to settle for fourth in 106.65.

The winning team members were Zeta Roche (Charlie D), Alison Goff (Wat A Cookie), Lucy Jolly (Dawn Dusty) and Lucy Kent (Lotso). The Island Stars finished second in 103.25 with the Bray Yellow team placing third in 104.69 while also winning the best turned-out award.

The Carbery Branch’s Hannah Brind won the senior individual competition on Good Boy Seamus (see page 108).