THERE were many past members of Pony Club Branches in Ireland and England in action at last week’s Ballindenisk international horse trials but also some current Irish Pony Club members, two of whom recorded their first international successes when winning their respective classes.

Carbery’s Momo Sheehy has enjoyed an excellent season with her new horse, TMX Herby, on whom she won the CCI2*-L at Ballindenisk when adding just two show jumping time penalties to winning her dressage score of 22.3. Two weeks earlier, Momo and the 10-year-old Zirocco Blue VDL gelding, who is owned by her father Morgann, won the EI110 (J) title at the Horse Sport Ireland/Eventing Ireland national championships at Lisgarvan House.

This season the Co Cork 17-year-old also campaigned the 13-year-old E Warrantsson on whom she won the Open title at last year’s IPC/Connolly’s Red Mills eventing championships in Tattersalls.

Meath Branch member Amelia McCarthy recorded her Ballindenisk victory in the CCI1*-Intro on her mother Zazel’s Finsceal Endeavour, the combination completing on their dressage score of 35.1. At the Dublin Horse Show in August, when they represented Area 7, 16-year-old Amelia and the seven-year-old Metropole mare won the Pony Club Members combined training class.

Two other riders recorded their first international wins at Ballindenisk last week, starting with former Ward Union Branch member Daragh Byrne who landed the top-rated CCI4*-L on Kilcannon Ramiro, and former Shillelagh Branch member Michael O’Toole who partnered Icco to victory in the CCI3*-L.

“Those were great days with the Shillelaghs and I remember winning the Pony Club eventing championships at Ballindenisk many moons ago – I thought I had made it!” revealed O’Toole who was one of the treating veterinary surgeons on duty last weekend.

Ian Cassells has been enjoying an excellent season with his string of event horses and the former Newcastle Lyons Branch member won both the CCI3*-S and the CCI2*-S on Shanbo Super Flex and BDE Olympic Royale respectively while former Bray Branch member, Louise Bloomer, topped the final leaderboard in the CCI1*-Intro for five- and six-year-old horses (the Michael Leonard championship) riding Shannondale Levi.

Louise, manager and chief instructor at her family’s Brennanstown Riding School in Co Wicklow, now holds clinics which are popular with Bray members, while she also coaches them in dressage in the lead-up to team championships.