THOSE who intend to compete in this year’s Stepping Stones to Success league at Wexford Equestrian are advised to study the rules and information available on the venue’s website, although no entries will be taken until the week prior to the first qualifier on Wednesday, April 2nd.

The league will continue on the following two Wednesdays, April 9th and 16th, with the annual viewing day being listed for Tuesday, April 22nd. It’s then back to Wednesday for the final on April 30th.

These dates come with the proviso that they are subject to change if necessary, but organisers Pat Peare and Orla Roche hope to stick to the schedule. “Our riders, owners and producers need a goal to work towards and we hope that, in publishing our dates now, they can prepare for the season,” said Roche.

“We have a tried and trusted format of providing a platform for training, producing and competing young horses on good surfaces, while engaging top judges to assess them on the flat and in the performance phases. As usual, the matron scheme will be included for mares in the young event horse classes.”

Those two classes for four-year-olds and five-year-olds will again be generously sponsored by Childéric Saddles and the prize fund should be enhanced pending confirmation from Horse Sport Ireland. Doagh Equestrian is sponsoring the event pony class, which is confined to four to six-year-olds, while ponies who finished first, second or third in previous years are excluded.

A handicap system for open and novice horses will once more be in use in the thoroughbred class, where sponsor Treo Eile will be offering an additional €150 at each qualifier.

Riders targeting these classes are reminded that horses need to be registered, for free, with Treo Eile and also of the Grand Slam bonus scheme on offer this season.

There is a busy and varied calendar of events scheduled for Wexford Equestrian in the next few months with the operators looking as far ahead as Sunday, June 8th when they will be staging the Wexford Summer Show.