THE main inter-Branch competition of the year in Area 17 of The Pony Club (Northern Ireland), the home championships in eventing, was held last Monday at the Glendinning family’s Ballyvannon cross-country where they were hosted by the Killultaghs.

“It was a bit of a challenge leading up to the day because of the ground and the weather,” revealed Noreen Fitzpatrick, who is about to step down as District Commissioner of the Killultagh Branch following six years in the role. “However, once we got the six dressage arenas erected on Thursday and the show jumps out in the two rings on Friday, we were happy that we could go ahead – especially as Danny (Glendinning) arranged to have a third big tractor on site.

“We changed the heights of the classes this year, as I felt that there was too much of a leap between classes in the past, so we started at 40cms and went up 10cms a time to 70cms (last year they started at 45cms and topped out at 85cms). The main cross-country track ran over the 60cms and 70cms fences while there was a dedicated area for those competing at 40cms and 50cms level. Vina Buller (assisted by Noreen’s husband Noel) did a great job as course builder and we were able to call on Ronnie Beggs and others from the Northern Region of Eventing Ireland to give us a hand.

“As ever, some of the young riders were delighted with their results while others failed to complete the cross-country phase. I thought it was a very educational day and members will have learned some lessons from the outing. We had some great local sponsorship and it was a great way to end the season.”

Triple threat

The East Antrims won three of the all-important team competitions. In the regular 70cms class, where 14 teams started, the three-rider East Antrim squad of Flora Cambell, Aimee Frew and Ellie-Mae Kerr completed on a total 143..4 penalties. The only other finishers, the Iveagh Whales, recorded a score of 201.8.

Six of the 11 teams in the 60cms class posted a completion score with the honours narrowly going to a mixed Branch trio of Lola Gallagher, Rebecca Sheridan and Ava McKay (133.4). Here, the Iveagh Magpies finished second on 135.4.

Through their Dalmations squad, who completed on 105 penalties, the Iveaghs also had to settle for the runner-up spot in the 50cms team competition won, on a score of 101.8, by the East Antrim Yellow trio of Grace Colley, Lily Crawford and Harlow Robinson.

No team managed to complete in the 40cms unassisted class where the individual honours went to Carter Greeves of the North Down Branch on Lily. However, thanks to some very fit leaders, seven of the 12 teams completed in the assisted section where the leaderboard was topped (84.5 penalties) by the East Antrim Bumblebees comprising Alec Goodrich, Elliot Logan, Cameron Barry and Libby Healy. The North Down Ladybirds finished second on 91.3.

Individual 50/60cms

Nine-year-old Annie Crawford, a member of the Iveagh Branch, had a great day, winning Section B of the 50cms competition on Lucren Lockdown and Section A of the 60cms class on Benson. Annie is a daughter of former international event rider/turned point-to-point trainer Ross Crawford and his wife Kelly (née Troughton), who was better known as a dressage rider, and who for many years ran the cross-country control team at the Tattersalls Ireland international horse trials.

Section B of the 60cms competition was won by the North Downs’ Isabella Graham riding Kildenogue Boy, while the final leaderboard in Section A of the 50cms class was headed by Rose O’Connor, a member of the East Down Branch, on board Dolly.

Chloe Hall of the Iveagh Branch, winner of the 40cms at the Area 17 home eventing championships \ JRS Photography

Open 70cms

There was no team competition for those competing in the 70cms Open class where the Arena honours went to East Down’s Sarah Sloan riding Rustums Jubilee in Section A and to the Mid Antrims’ Katie Kilpatrick with Vales Roe Sparrow Gem in Section B. In the regular 70cms competition, East Antrim’s Ellie-Mae Kerr partnered Millparks Eoin to victory in Section A while the host Branch, the Killultaghs, were rewarded for their efforts in Section B where Maddison Biggerstaff ran out the winner on Ringo Star.

40cms assisted

Members of the East Antrim Branch won the two sections of the 40cms assisted competition on two well-known show ponies. Cameron Barry recorded a comfortable victory in Section A on Rhydygrug Peter Pan while Elliot Logan, riding Llafar Bathez, managed to win Section B by just half a penalty point.

Mounted games

While most members of Area 17 of The Pony Club are settling back into school, one of their counterparts, Charlotte Killen, a member of the North Derry Branch, is in Canada as one of the five-strong Great Britain team competing in an international Pony Club mounted games exchange.