TWO Areas of the Irish Pony Society, Cork and Limerick/Clare, recently held a joint end-of-year function in the Woodlands Hotel, Adare, where it was a very busy night, as two sets of winners in numerous categories were presented with awards.

The Cork Area was disbanded in 2018 but, following a meeting of like-minded individuals in Bandon in October last year, it was revived for the 2024 season. The membership has since doubled and they have already booked Sceilig Equestrian for an Area show on May 11th, 2025.

Chairperson of the new committee is Rachel Lane, who commented: “In our first season back up and running, we were absolutely thrilled to be able to award prizes across 60 categories in the IPS. With the mini pony section being extremely well-represented in the region and lots of young talent coming through, we are very excited for the future of Cork Area.”

Lane’s daughter Amber was crowned the leading girl rider in the Area for 2024, having amassed 810 points between her two ponies, Barkway State Affair and Creganna Dancer. The former, a 19-year-old British-bred gelding by Rotherwood Statesman, won three titles – ridden starter stakes champion, show pony champion and part-bred champion.

Bred in Co Galway by Marjorie Hardiman, the 16-year-old skewbald mare Creganna Dancer fared even better on the night, as she won the working starter stakes championship, the show hunter championship, the coloured championship and the working hunter pony championship. At the end of the presentations, the daughter of Moores Clover was acclaimed as the Cork Area Pony of the Year.

Besides her numerous wins on the showing scene this year, Lane enjoyed considerable success with both ponies when, as a member of the Duhallow Branch, she competed in Irish Pony Club activities and when riding as a member of Dressage Ireland, an organisation she represented at the British Dressage Youth Home international in Wales during the summer.

The mini pony of the year was the mini show pony champion, Whiteleaze Secret Temptation who, in October, claimed the overall pony of the year title at the Welsh Pony and Cob Society awards night in Athy. The 15-year-old Cusop Dimension mare was partnered by both Rebecca and Stephanie Fleming, who also shared the ride on the mini show hunter pony champion, Waitwith Finola.

The ridden Intermediate champion under Lillie Daly was the Irish Sport Horse mare Thistletown Olympia, a 14-year-old chesnut by Olympic Lux.

Thanks to points won under both Palmer siblings, Emily and Jack, Torcadiz Arbennig Arum took two titles, mini working hunter pony champion and Mountain and Moorland champion. Emily was presented with the equitation championship award for her results on Goldengrove Right Answer, while Jack ended up the evening being called forward as the leading boy rider in the Area.

Roisin Lucey recorded a championship treble. She won the Connemara and performance titles on the Grade A gelding Doe Mick, an eight-year-old grey by Odysseus Melody, and the young handler championship with the five-year-old chesnut gelding, HJR Firecracker. The overall in-hand championship winner was Claire Nulty’s Connemara gelding, Bodhran of Hazelfield, a four-year-old grey by Magic Leam Pondi.

At the end of a successful and lengthy awards presentation, which acknowledged the triumphs of those in the Limerick/Clare Area, its Chairperson, Breid Shannon, also had extra reason to be very proud, as her Arizona Gold was crowned overall pony champion.

The 16-year-old British-bred gelding by Pickmere Mistral was ridden throughout the year by Shannon’s daughter Abbie, who had earlier been presented with the champion show hunter pony and champion Intermediate awards for her results with the chesnut.

Arizona Gold, campaigned by Abbie Shannon (pictured) was crowned overall pony champion at the Limerick/Clare Area IPS Awards 2024

Another British-bred gelding, the 13-year-old Bronycoed Hurricane grey Proclins Prince Charming, was announced as the overall mini pony champion. And little wonder, as his rider, Enzo Rocca Houlihan, was the recipient of three championship awards – mini show hunter pony, mini working hunter pony and mini Mountain & Moorland.

Following her excellent season on the showing circuit with Diamand Anfrody, Helena O’Doherty was presented with four championship awards viz show pony, equitation, part-bred and novice. O’Doherty also competed at Novice level at two Dressage Ireland shows on Diamand Anfrody who, bred in The Netherlands, is by the Welsh stallion Klein Roderijs Cocktail.

Sophie Cusack, who had less of a journey to take to the Woodlands Hotel than most others on the night, won both the Connemara championship and the working hunter pony championship with Dunguaire Mick, an 11-year-old Banks Timber grey she also competes with Show Jumping Ireland.

There were single championship wins for the Seamie Braddish-ridden Springdale Superstar (mini show pony), for the Saoise Hughes-partnered Cluainin Spring Johnson (Mountain & Moorland), for Jessica McAuliffe (young handler) and Eimear Coleman (in-hand). Henry Myers, the Area’s best boy, won the performance pony championship with Vezer, while Ella Moran, the best girl, won the starter stakes title with Bronhelogue Sonny Boy.