THE focus of many Irish Pony Club members on Monday will be on the winter triathlon final, sponsored by Carr & Day & Martin and the sizeable entry augurs well for both the final itself and the upcoming tetrathlon campaign.

There is going to be an early start at the K Leisure Centre, Athy, where the swimming pool will open for changing from 6.45am. The first of four heats of senior girls is due to start at 7.10am with the senior boys taking over at 7.26am.

Not too surprisingly, there was a large entry for the junior girls’ final, where the first of nine heats will be off at 7.57am, followed by the first of three junior boys’ heats at 8.44am. The organisers had a big job on their hands when it came to sorting time for the mixed minimus competition as there will be 16 heats, with the first set for a 9.02am start, followed at 9.36am by the first of seven heats of mixed fledglings.

The action moves outside the centre for the running phase, while it’s then on to Ardscoil na Tríonóide, where the shooting range will open at 8am.

Up in Area 17 of The Pony Club (Northern Ireland) the excitement is building ahead of next weekend’s Barrier Spring Festival at Castle Irvine, Necarne.

In previous years, members of local Branches had to travel to Scotland for one of two finals, which curtailed the numbers representing Area 17. This time, there has been huge interest in this dedicated final with large contingents of Branch members competing at qualifiers in arena eventing, dressage and show jumping since early October.

The competitive action starts on Saturday morning, but we know that some members will have their parents/guardians primed to drive into the Co Fermanagh estate as soon as the gates open on Friday.