WHILE members of the Irish Pony Club are more or less taking it quiet on the competition front at present, up in Area 17 of The Pony Club (Northern Ireland), members are already trying to qualify for next year’s Barrier Health Spring Festival.

Late last March, the first dedicated Festival in Northern Ireland was held over two days at Castle Irvine, Necarne and that Co Fermanagh estate will once again be the venue for 2025 but, on this occasion, it will take place over the weekend of April 26th and 27th. Members will compete in the three disciplines of Arena eventing (70cm to 1m), dressage (PC70 to Open) and show jumping (PC70 to 1.10m).

The more immediate target of the London International Horse Show (December 18th to 22nd) is occupying the minds of Fermanagh’s Lily McBride and North Derry’s Harry Kelly as, at the Area show jumping in early July at The Meadows, they qualified for the popular Mini-Major competition in the ExCel Arena.