A WEEK later than scheduled because of the weather, the final of the inter club show jumping mini league, run by the Meath Branch of the Irish Pony Club, was held last Sunday at Emerald Equestrian where six of seven classes, and leagues, were won by members of the host branch.

Lilly Knapp-McMahon claimed the 1m class and league on Castlekelly Dun Can but, although topping the 90cm league, she and her 13-year-old dun gelding missed out on a double double when finishing second in the day’s class at that height behind Sophie May Nolan and the 24-year-old bay gelding Shady Glen.

The runner-up position in both leagues was filled by Rathfarnham’s Niamh Browne with the Irish Sport Horse mare RPS Queen of Hearts, a 10-year-old chesnut daughter of Simba.

At 80cm level, the honours in both class and league went to Rose Reynolds and Cotterstown Dun, a 17-year-old 138cm gelding, with whom she was a member of the Meath trio, which came fourth in the Under 12s’ team championship at last season’s Connolly Red Mills/IPS national eventing championships at Tattersalls Ireland.

Although she had to settle for second behind Cian Maguire riding Nova in Sunday’s class, Amy-Anne Newell ran out the winner of the 70cm league, with the working hunter pony Castleside Tara Pepper, a 14-year-old Connemara mare by Arann Diamond. This combination also claimed double honours in the 60cm class and league.

In the 50cm division, Hugo Reynolds on Steel beat fellow Meath member Elizabeth Ryan into second with Freddy, but the pair then shared the top spot in the league.

In the cross-poles section, the honours in both class and league were divided between the Meaths’ Luke Murray (Bingo) and Hugo Reynolds (Steel), the Ward Union trio of Samuel Comerford (Jim), Georgia Comerford (Jack) and Harriet Baker (Cracker Jack) plus Rathfarnham’s Jenny O’Loughlin (Sammy).

There was more good news for the Meath Branch on Monday, when it was announced by the Gerry Dilger Equine Scholarship Foundation that two former members, Jordan Kidd and Tara Carroll, were the recipients of its Irish National Stud tuition and placement scholarships for 2025.

These scholarships are granted to Irish citizens in memory of the successful breeder and pinhooker Gerry Dilger, who left Co Clare at the age of 19 to base himself in the United States, where he established the Dromoland Stud in Lexington, Kentucky. See page 4 for further details.