TEAMS from the Irish Pony Club and Area 17 of The Pony Club represented the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland in dressage and mounted games at last week’s Pony Club home international at the Royal Windsor Horse Show, where a trio of Area 17 members also contested the Tetrathlon competition.

The IPC games team comprised Harriet Mangan (Meath), Daniel Callery (Meath), Nicky Bolton (Kildare, reserve), Conor Buckley (Carlow), Robyn Gahan d’Arcy (Shillelagh) and Lulu Fitzsimmons (Bray). Eilidh Hyland travelled as trainer, along with the chairperson of the IPC’s mounted games committee, Chris Ahearne, who acted as chef d’equipe.

Area 17, who didn’t have it easy in the run-up to the show, was represented by Sam Staats Howard (Route), Amelia Bannon (East Antrim), Jack Cowan (Iveagh), Leigh Graham (East Antrim), Alice Jones (East Antrim) and Holly Blythe (North Down). Their trainer was Sam Woodrow, while Gwen Kerton filled the role of chef d’equipe.

The competition, in which teams representing England, Scotland and Wales also lined-out, ran over four days. England won the opening session on Thursday, but not that on Friday when they failed to register a score in the Quoits and Cone race and the Republic of Ireland slipped into a one-point lead (47 to 46 with Scotland third on 44). Friday’s session was held in front of the show’s patron, Britain’s King Charles.

Saturday’s action was intensely competitive. Scotland ran out the winners with 26 points, England, who failed to register a score in the Tyre this time, finished second on 25 points, with Ireland scoring 24. This left Ireland and England level-pegging on 71 points going into Sunday’s finale, with Scotland just a point adrift on 70.

It rained heavily before Sunday’s session, when double points were on offer and, while Ireland won two games, the 5 Flag and Big Sack, England picked up the maximum 10 points in four others; Scotland won the opening Bending Poles. This left England out in front on 131 points, Ireland second on 123 and Scotland third on 108. Wales finished fourth on 80.5, ahead of Northern Ireland on 62.5.

The rosettes were presented by the Duke Of Edinburgh, who spoke to all team members.

“I was delighted by the team’s performance and we were close to winning at one stage,” said Eilidh Hyland. “I’d like to thank all those who sponsored the team.” Fran Rowlatt-McCormick, Area Representative for Area 17 commented: “I am very grateful to Sam Woodrow and Gwen Kerton, as well as Biffy Booth, for all their help and preparation. Our team did themselves and their Branches proud at Windsor.”

Dressage

The dressage competition was held on Friday, when the weather at times was very inclement. In the team competition England won on six converted points, ahead of Wales (14), Scotland (18), Northern Ireland (21) and the Republic of Ireland (22).

There were five starters in the Novice competition, won by England’s Sophie Traynor (Woodland Hunt) riding Bellingham Cruising Encounter (71.88%). Here, Mid Antrim’s Hannah Thompson finished second (70.83) with her 14-year-old Traditionally-bred Irish Sport Horse mare Jemeela Charm, who she competes at EI100 (Amateur) level with Eventing Ireland. Carbery’s Sinead O’Regan was fourth (69.38) on her mother Claire’s Connemara gelding Alana’s Rambler.

England’s Lilly Wittich (Newmarket and Thurlow Hunt) topped the leaderboard in the 10-strong Intermediate competition with the Dutch Warmblood gelding El Gaucho DHI (73.42%). Here, North Down’s Eve Adair was sixth (65.58) with the 13-year-old piebald mare Dot, on whom she competes at Novice level with Dressage Ireland. Meath’s Grace Hanna finished seventh (65.50) on the similarly-aged ISH gelding Clerkson, who she too competes at DI Novice level, while her Meath teammate Anna Sharkey placed ninth (51.33) with the 23-year-old black gelding Carbury.

The scores were a lot tighter in the nine-runner Open won by Scotland’s Imogen Casely (Linlithgow and Stirlingshire) on the Welsh mare Parvadean Estelle (69.53%), who has 385 British Dressage points to her credit.

North Down’s Charlotte Keers finished fourth (67.58%) with the 12-year-old Connemara gelding Western Ocala on whom she was second of 21 in an EI100 at Tyrella last month.

Tipperary’s Evie Kennedy was fifth (67.03) on the 14-year-old Connemara gelding Blackwoodland Breeze on whom she now competes at Elementary level with DI. Waterford’s Lilly Larkin finished sixth (64.38) on the eight-year-old ISH mare Pippas Harlequin Lady, with whom she too has started to compete at Elementary level with DI, and East Antrim’s Erin McCrea placed ninth (61.17) on the 12-year-old ISH mare Rubane Candy on whom she competes with both DI and EI.

“The standard was very high, in a challenging show environment, so the team should be very proud of themselves,” commented Kate Harvey, the IPC’s head of dressage and combined training. “It was a wonderful experience for the riders and supporters, who had a great time in spite of the rain and the mud! Many thanks to chef d’equipe Marie Hennessy, and to parents, trainers, the IPC office staff and our sponsors.”

Joanne Jarden, coach of the Area 17 team said: “They were all super, some nerves stopped higher marks, but a huge learning curve has been ridden well.”

The Area 17 junior tetrathlon team comprised Una McClelland, Andrew Wishart and Tori Lilly

Tetrathlon

Eight teams contested the Junior Tetrathlon, which was held last Saturday and Sunday. Northern England claimed the honours with 13,099 points, while Northern Ireland finished seventh on 12,469. The Area 17 team comprised Iveagh’s Una McClelland (4,260) and Andrew Wishart (4170) plus Fermanagh’s Tori Lilly (4,039).

“We had a fantastic weekend at Windsor with this brilliant Junior team,” said Area 17’s Tetrathlon coordinator and team chef d’equipe, Heather Williams. “They set personal bests in swimming and running and recorded clear rounds on ponies they had only sat on the previous day.

“They gave the weekend their all and were truly amazing ambassadors for Area 17.”