MEMBERS of Branches of both the Irish Pony Club and Area 17 of The Pony Club (Northern Ireland) are in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, this weekend competing at a senior international Tetrathlon.

John Flood, chairman of the IPC’s Tetrathlon and Minimus Committee, is travelling as chef d’equipe with a squad of “just 29”, a detail which would have been larger had it not been for injury, both human and equine. Seskinore members and siblings, Sophia and Patrick Williams are representing Area 17.

It continues to be a hectic time on the home front for IPC members, some of whom will be competing in Pony Club activities, and/or in other classes, at the Dublin Horse Show. In general, the next IPC target will be the re-scheduled National Dressage Day at Spruce Lodge on Thursday, August 17th. Entries close on Tuesday next, August 8th.

For those involved in both, there will be a day’s turnaround time before the National Tetrathlon Championships begin on Saturday, August 19th, with the shooting phase which will be staged at Punchestown racecourse followed by the swim phase in the K-Leisure Centre, Naas. The running and riding phases are both scheduled for the following day, Sunday, August 20th, at Killossery Lodge Stud. Entries close on Wednesday next, August 9th.

Over this Bank Holiday weekend, three qualifiers are being held at Coolboy (Saturday), Kilguilkey House (Sunday) and Punchestown (Monday), providing members with a final chance to secure a starting place at the Connolly’s Red Mills national eventing championships in Tattersalls on Saturday and Sunday, August 26th and 27th – and, of course, to pick up vital league points.

In Area 17, those qualified will shortly be heading over to the JCB Pony Club Championships which take at Offchurch Bury in Warwickshire from Friday, August 11th to Saturday, August 19th. On Bank Holiday Monday, August 28th, the North Down Branch is hosting the home championships (eventing) at Lusk Equestrian.