THE second of three qualifiers for the Carr & Day & Martin Irish Pony Club winter triathlon final was hosted by the Wexford Branch last Sunday when it was run off most efficiently at The Apex, New Ross (swim phase) and the nearby Kennedy College (shoot and run).

Strict adherence to times was all-important throughout the day as there was a very big entry (the competition was oversubscribed) but, despite this, some members were able to round up cattle who had broken out from a neighbouring farmer’s field and get them all back in again.

The number of participants in both Senior classes was small, Wicklow’s Tianne Kelly seeing off just seven rivals when winning the Girls’ competition with 2,604 points while there were just four starters in the Senior Boys’ class where Sean Cooke came out on top (2,574).

Cooke is a member of the North Kilkenny Branch which doubled up on Sunday when, on 2,154 points, Pixie Murphy recorded a narrow victory in the 52-runner Girls’ Minimus competition where the Ward Union’s Ailbhe Reilly finished second on 2,142.

While Reilly failed to follow up her win seven days earlier in Co Clare, her sister Clodagh was one of four competitors to do so. The Ward Union member landed the Junior Girls’ competition with 2,876 points, Co Limerick’s Archie McCartan repeated his win in the Boys’ Minimus (2,006), his fellow Branch member Laura Foster made it two from out in the Fledgling Girls’ biathlon (1,614) and, on 1,630 points, Meath’s Harvey McCarthy recorded his second win in two weeks in the boys’ equivalent.

Amazing, after the three phases only one point separated first and second in the 13-strong Junior Boys’ class where Carlow’s Cillian Tobin took the honours with 2,786 points ahead of Co Limerick’s J.J. Power (2,785).

The third and final qualifier takes place tomorrow when it will be hosted by the North Kilkenny Branch at the Watershed Leisure Centre, Kilkenny.