THE rescheduled Irish Pony Club Mackey hunter trials championships attracted a large number of competitors to Moorefield Kennels in Co Wexford on Saturday week last, September 25th when local Branches were the first to strike.

It was foggy when the Senior Teams Of Three got the action underway at 8am but conditions improved during the day. Only seven squads started in the opener and of these, four were eliminated. The only trio to go clear, and who did so in a time of six minutes straight, was that representing the hosts, the Wexford Branch.

The winning team comprised Flora Doran on the eight-year-old traditionally bred gelding Boughlone Nelson, a bay by Fiona’s Man, Henry Seebach riding Emmeline Hill’s 13-year-old Douglas Junior gelding Sahara Breeze, on whom he is competing in the EI110 (J) at Punchestown today, and Caolan Costello with the 10-year-old Billy Congo gelding Billy Ignite.

The Killinick Branch fielded two teams and, on 15 penalties in 6.23, finished second through their Green trio of Jessie Bates (Mams Sea Motion), Owen Carroll (Joei) and Mia Myler (Tricklebrooks Jaguar). The Bray Flyers were faster, coming home in 6.05, but Eva Marriott (Princess Ziwa), Siún Handley (Teachers Pet) and Zara Kelly (DG Arkall) picked up 20 penalties to place third.

There were only five starters in the Senior Pairs’ challenge including two from the Co Clare Branch. However, although their Owls duo of Feargal de Barra (Dalestown Hudson) and Hannah Hassett (Archie) were clear, their time of 5.54 was only good enough for second. The winners, in 5.36, were the Islands’ Emma Carton on the Connemara gelding Sweet Melody Of Menlo, a nine-year-old by I Love You Melody, and Kerri McDonald with Ricki.

Impressive winner

The Carlow Branch’s Darragh Bevan ran out the impressive winner of the 31-strong Senior Individual championship, recording the only sub five-minute round when clear in 4.50 on the Irish Sport Horse mare Macroney Sue, a nine-year-old daughter of WRS Sun Rich.

Bevan’s closest rival was his teammate, Isobella Donohue, riding Bea, who was clear in 5.09. In total, 21 of the 31 starters were clear with four combinations failing to complete.

The Ward Union Branch struck twice during the day, first landing the six-strong Intro Pairs thanks to Sarah McNally (Dancing Queen Diva) and Hannah Keogh (Lola) who picked up five penalties in 5.59. The Branch then doubled up in the Junior Individual where Jed Collins recorded the fastest (4.10) of 71 clears, from 120 starters, on the seven-year-old chesnut gelding Adams Apple.

The 23-runner Intro Individual, in which there were 12 clear rounds concluded in a dead-heat as two riders stopped the clock on 4.31. They were Nenagh Branch member Evanna Howard riding the 18-year-old skewbald gelding Gough Copper and Golden Vale’s Martin Cleere on board the 14-year-old bay gelding, Lackelly Boy.

Fifty-nine pairs started at Junior level, 25 jumped around clear but only two did so in less than five minutes. These were the winners, Bray’s Elsie Barry on the Connemara mare Cloonisle Killegar Dream, a 16-year-old chesnut by Gurteen Paddy, and Aisling Marriott riding the similarly aged chesnut gelding Major General (4.51) plus the Westmeath Red duo of Gemma Whyte on Shanes Lad and Orlagh O’Brien with Melview Another Clover (4.53).

The result was also tight in the 36-strong Under 12 pairs where 17 clear rounds were recorded. The winners in four minutes exactly were the Scarteen Hounds duo of Liam Gleeson riding the 13-year-old bay mare Fab Gale and Holly Ryan on Spikey while finishing second on 4.01 were Isolde Tivy (Fortmill Francesca) and Oisin Whelan (Chocolate Hobnob), the West Waterford Whizkids.

Individually, Gleeson and Fab Gale finished third (3.37) in the Individual competition behind Killinick Gold’s Lily Walsh on the 19-year-old bay mare Kilcarty Oddball (3.20) and Wexford’s Kayla Barron riding Katie (3.23).

Disappointingly, just two IPC members entered the hunting horn competition where the Scarteens’ Jonty Purcell took the honours ahead of West Waterford’s Fionn Budds.