IPC/Red Mills eventing championships Tattersalls \ Margie McLoone

IT’S another busy weekend on the Pony Club scene with the Irish Pony Club/Connolly’s Red Mills eventing championships taking place today and tomorrow at Tattersalls Ireland in Co Meath, while the East Down Branch of The Pony Club is staging Area 17’s home championships in eventing at Hazeldene Equestrian, Co Down on Monday, a Bank Holiday in Northern Ireland.

Heading into the Red Mills final, where double points are on offer, it’s all to play for at Open level where United’s Alana Rose Steele tops the leaderboard on 15 points with MBF Lord Lancer Bobbie, the six-year-old Fly Away Ali gelding on whom she finished second in the Members’ combined training at last week’s Dublin Horse Show.

Wexford’s Rebebah Rochowiak is just a point adrift with the nine-year-old mare Greannstown Vivendi Girl while she, in turn, is a point clear of Carbery’s Ellie Flemming Hand who rides the eight-year-old Ross Fear Bui gelding Anbally Silver Grey. Orla Treacy, a member of the Waterford Branch, is a further three points back in third with Caislean Ri.

The Killinicks’ Isabelle Barry holds a commanding advantage at Intermediate level with the Connemara gelding Kildromin Mentor on whom she too was second at Dublin but in the Intermediate combined training. Barry and the nine-year-old Carraig Éibhir grey are on 31 points with their nearest rivals being the West Waterford combination of Siofra Marsh and the 14-year-old S Creevagh Ferro gelding MicMacs First (23).

With five wins and two second-place finishes to her credit, Jane Fitzgerald has surged clear of her rivals in the Intro Intermediate league. The Shillelagh Branch member has amassed 40 points on the 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare Broomfield Banner, a grey daughter of Silver Banner on whom she also won an EI90 at Rosanna in June.

In second place with 28 points, Lily-Mai Barry may well have lost the race to claim this league with Skylanna Scatman. However, the Killinick member will have her eye on the Treo Eile-sponsored prize of a training bursary should she finish in the first six of her championship class this weekend on the eight-year-old Tajraasi gelding who ran in 11 point-to-points, placing second on two occasions.

In the Junior league, Laois’s Maya Byrne Moran will be hoping for a strong finish with Far Away Tale (45 points) as there are two riders on 36 points apiece, Killinick’s Keira Crowther who rides Tomoka Spots and Newcastle Lyons’s Hazel Gleeson who hasn’t been beaten this season in six starts on Redmondi Bobtail.

Six wins and three second-place finishes see Mia Perry of the North Kilkenny Branch gone beyond recall in the Under 12s’ league as she has amassed 51 points on Mulvey’s Marble.