THE Tipperary Area of the Irish Pony Society held its 2024 awards night last Saturday in Hayes Hotel, Thurles, where everyone enjoyed the social occasion before the show season starts in earnest.

Two of the three major winners were the pony of the year Goldengrove Maydream, a 2013 Holyoake Czar mare ridden by Zoe Thompson for her mother Lorraine, and the rider of the year, Imogen Lawless-Greene, who achieved her results last season on two ponies owned by her mother, Margaret. These were Harwent Moonraker, a 2011 gelding by Dolphin Superstar, and Moonlite Gone With The Wind, a 2019 home-bred mare by Dolrhedyn Casino.

Annarose Scott was the recipient of the Ballylanigan award, which was presented to the Tipperary Area member who earned the most points at the annual Area show in August.

The show was held at Ballylanigan House, home of Faith and Peter Ponsonby. Sadly, Peter died this week and will be much missed by all involved with both the Irish Pony Society and the Irish Pony Club.

Champion and reserve rosettes were presented in the different categories to – Zoe Thompson and Anna Doolan (Mountain & Moorland), Imogen Lawless-Greene and Zoe Thompson (Open show hunter), Zoe Thompson and Imogen Lawless-Greene (Equitation), Chloe Doyle and Clara O’Donnell (Performance jumping) and John Doolan and Judy O’Donnell (Starters Stakes).

Zoe Thompson is presented with the Pony of the Year award for Goldengrove Maydream by Margaret Greene, Tipperary Area chairperson

Also recognised for their achievements were Eva Gunn and Emily Scott (Part-bred), Aoife Flynn and Evie Kennedy (Open Connemara), Zoe Thompson and Imogen Lawless-Greene (Young handler), Emily Marnane and Chloe Doyle (Open working hunter), Imogen Lawless-Greene and Eva Gunn (Show pony) and Anna Doolan and John Doolan (Mini champion).

Annarose Scott was also the recipient of the Intermediate rosette, while Emily Marnane took the Novice Connemara award.

Fortunately, Lorraine Thompson, the newly-appointed Area secretary, owns Killusty Crafts, who make rosettes and she and her team went all-out to provide a memory for each rider with personalised rosettes featuring the pony’s name on the centre, with their category and placing on each tail.