THE very active North Kilkenny Branch of the Irish Pony Club was rewarded for its efforts in running the third and final Winter Triathlon qualifier last Sunday at the Watershed, Kilkenny, as two of its members recorded wins as they had done the previous weekend in Co Wexford.

Sean Cooke set the ball rolling by landing the Senior Boys’ competition, having amassed 2,983 points. His nearest challenger in the six-strong event was Co Limerick’s Nathan Ruttle (2,681). Cooke won both the run and swim, while the Duhallows’ Edward Healy, who finished third (2,599) overall, topped the scores in the shoot.

The North Kilkenny double came up in the two-phase Girls’ Minimus competition, where the in-form Pixie Murphy picked up 2,320 points to see off a massive field of 58 rivals. Julianne Kennedy of the Co Limerick Branch finished second (2,250), ahead of another North Kilkenny member, Molly Jean Clarke (2,146).

With a total of 3,166 points, the Ward Union Branch’s Clodagh Reilly brought up a hat trick of wins, when landing the Junior Girls’ competition. The 14-year-old won both the shoot and run phases, but could only finish eighth in the swim, where Kilkenny’s Caroline Hughes, who finished fifth (2,800) overall, claimed the honours.

In this 45-strong class, Aerin Tabb of the Waterford Branch finished second with 2,985 points to her credit, just in front of Ali Hughes of Carlow (2,982). Representing the Kilkenny Branch, Anna Rose Hughes finished fourth (2,927).

Co Limerick’s Archie McCartan also completed a series hat trick when topping the overall leaderboard in the Boys’ Minimus, in which there were 27 starters. The 10-year-old recorded a comprehensive victory, winning both phases for a total of 2,362 points. The year older Dave Hennessy from Tipperary filled the runner-up position (2,206), with Wicklow’s Benjamin Galligan slotting into third (2,146).

Successful down in Co Clare last month, Caroline Roche returned to the top spot in the Senior Girls’ competition on Sunday, when a win in the shoot phase and second place finishes in both the swim and run gave her a total of 2,830 points.

Representing the same Branch, of which their mother Barbara is District Commissioner, Caroline’s year older sister Victoria finished third (2,534), with Wexford’s Emma Hickey (2,762) being sandwiched between the two Roche girls in this 12-runner class.

There were 11 starters in the Junior Boys’ competition, where victory went to the shoot and swim phase winner Tipperary’s Jack Landy (3,080), while Carlow’s Cillian Tobin, who held off all challengers in the run, finished second overall (3,018). The Killinicks’ Max Doran placed third (2,725).

At Fledgling level, the honours in the nine-strong boys’ event went to Wexford Branch member, Timmy Munnelly (1,578), ahead of Meath’s Hugo Reynolds (1,524), while in the girls’ competition, in which there were 18 starters, Scarteen’s Patricia Ryan topped the two-phase final standings on 1,782 points, denying Limerick’s Laura Foster (1,704) a hat trick.

The Irish Pony Club/Carr & Day & Martin Winter Triathlon Final takes place tomorrow when, in a change of venue, both the run and swim phase will be staged at K Leisure Athy, with the shoot phase being held at the nearby Ardscoil na Trionoide. The event commences at the early time of 7am. Good luck to all those competing.

Today (Saturday), the second leg of the Area 5 arena eventing league, hosted by the Araglen and United Branches, takes place at Ballindenisk, while tomorrow the Meath Branch is holding the second leg of its inter club show jumping spring league at Emerald Equestrian outside Enfield.