A FANTASTIC few days for the Greene family from Ashbourne began last Wednesday week at the Mullingar Equestrian Centre, where

  • the second of the Dublin Horse Show working hunter pony qualifiers
was held in conjunction with the Irish Pony Society.

Eleven-year-old twins Jamie and Freddie Greene contested the starter stakes class, in which there were 44 entries and where they finished first and fourth respectively on Horse And Jockey Clasper (92 points) and Neuaddparc Springsong (88.5). The brothers were split by Saoirse Murphy riding The Nut Cracker (91.5) and Scott Doran on board Hopgarden (90.5)

“It was a great result, but we still have to complete another leg of the series in order to qualify, which will bring added pressure,” said the twins’ mother, Clare. “Things didn’t go to plan at Sceilig and, as we can’t go to Moira (on Thursday just past), we have to wait until Killossery (next Wednesday, July 3rd) where we need to complete to qualify.

“It was a bit of a hectic weekend after Mullingar, as the boys competed in the Irish Pony Club’s Minimus Championships. They were on the Ward Union Stars team, which finished 15th,” continued Clare, a former Ward Union Branch member herself. “Freddie was clear over the tough cross-country course at Killossery and finished eighth individually, while Jamie had one run-out and was 11th.

“While I went with them on Saturday, my husband Donal took the boys to the swimming and running phases at the National Sports Centre on Sunday. I went to the Eventing Ireland one-day event at Grove, where our daughter Kirsty won the EI100 (P) class.” And she did it in some style too, completing on her winning dressage score (22.8 penalties) with Our Girl in the 19-runner class.

“Kirsty has had some dressage lessons with Gerald Bloomer and some jumping lessons with Ian Fearon, but she and the boys (including Harry, who didn’t enjoy the best of luck at Mullingar) are mainly coached by Orla Cassidy, who took over their training when Joanne Quirke moved.

“While I think it’s a great idea having qualifiers, I don’t think you should have to do two, especially if it means taking the children out of school and having to take a day off work. I realise this is the first year to have qualifiers, so perhaps there will be a re-think for next season,” concluded Greene.

Horse And Jockey Clasper is a 14-year-old grey gelding with no recorded pedigree, while Neuaddparc Springsong is a 12-year-old chesnut mare by Glebedale Reply.