AS parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, there were plenty of people from the racing world present at last weekend’s Irish Pony Club/Connolly’s Red Mills eventing championships at Tattersalls Ireland’s sales complex in Co Meath.

In attendance both days was the sales company’s chief executive officer Simons Kerins who was joined on Sunday by the bloodstock department’s Jamie Codd, a former member of the Killinick Branch. Other riders included Nina Carberry and Ruby Walsh.

Michael and Sheelagh Hickey of the Sunnyhill Stud in Kilcullen were on hand to support their grandchildren Katie and Jodie Foley, Carlow Branch members whose parents, Jane and Joe, run Ballyhane Stud. Also present, having taken a couple of days off to enjoy the Dublin Horse Show recently, was trainer and sales consignor Willie Browne whose son, Jamie, was a member of the Tipperary Titans quartet who placed third in the Junior teams championship.

All the Branches were given different tasks to perform, most as fence stewards on the Sunday. Doing her stint for the Kildare Branch at Fence 10 was Frances Crowley whose son, Paddy Smullen, was on the Kildare Blue squad which finished fourth in the Intermediate team championship.

Show jumping Classic

The Irish Pony Club’s competitive season may be drawing to a close but there is still plenty of action yet to come with the Show Jumping Classic taking place tomorrow, Sunday, September 4th, at CoilÓg, Kilmeague, Co Kildare.

Members had to pre-qualify through their Areas for the four feature competitions – Classic 90 (90cms), Classic Starter (1m), Classic Finder (1.10m) and Classic (1.20m). There will also be non-Classic jumping from 50cms up to 90cms.

Next weekend, Saturday and Sunday, September 10th and 11th, the IPC’s International Mounted Games Competition for teams and pairs at Senior, Junior and Under 10 level, will be staged at Barnadown Showjumping outside Gorey, Co Wexford.

The following Saturday, September 17th, all roads lead to the Furnell family’s Ballycahane Equestrian Centre, Crecora, Co Limerick for the Mackey hunter trials championships.