MEMBERS of the Irish Pony Club seeking qualifications for the Connolly’s Red Mills/IPC eventing champions at Tattersalls Ireland next month had a choice of venues to compete at last Sunday.

The Laois Branch ran off 11 very well-filled classes at Stradbally Hall, where the Killinick Branch recorded a treble. Two of these wins came in the divided Intro Intermediate, where Section A fell to Grace Day and the ex-racehorse Ask Jim, a 13-year-old gelding by Germany.

Section B was won by Jess Murphy on Ashfield Bouncer, the 13-year-old Killinick Bouncer stallion, with whom she has qualified for the older Irish Draught performance championship at next month’s Dublin Horse Show.

Killinick’s Aoife Griffith won Section C of the Junior class on Ballyrue Maxi, while there were wins also at this level for Offaly’s Saoirse Carty on Sandy Banks, Wexford’s Michael Bowe on Home Ruler and for Kildare’s Alice Curley riding the Connemara gelding Jenny’s Midnight Lad.

The Wexford Branch started the day on a good note in Section A of the Intermediate, where Cora Finn won on Shakespeare Romeo Montague, while Section B went the way of the Brays’ Amelia Corcoran-Lyden with My Bright Spark.

Amelia Corcoran-Lyden and My Bright Spark, representing the Brays, who won Section B of the Intermediate class at the IPC eventing qualifier hosted by the Laois Branch at Stradbally Hall \ Mel Doyle

There were 10 competitors in the Junior Starter class of whom only Emma Pender, representing the host Branch Laois, wasn’t eliminated so, despite a stop across the country, she won with Max. Shillelagh’s Sarah Ryan won Section B of the Under 12s’ competition on Ballinaguilkey Hero, while Section A was won by Nia Webbon and Bobbyjo, who were on the Kildare team who finished fourth in the Overlander/IPC national minimus championships and won the riding prize.

Limerick qualifier

The Limerick Branch held their qualifier at Ballycahane Equestrian, where the Open attracted an entry of 12. All 12 started, led home by the Meaths’ Kyerin Hunter, who completed on his winning dressage score (30 penalties) with the ISH gelding Coolridge Quality, a seven-year-old OBOS Quality 004 bay.

Grace Hanna also struck for the Meath Branch when, despite adding four show jumping penalties to her winning dressage score of 22, she landed Section B of the Intermediate class on the ISH gelding Clerkson.

With cross-country time penalties, Hanna and this 13-year-old Clerkenwell bay finished 18th of 33 in the CCI1*-Intro at Millstreet earlier this season. West Waterford’s Siofra Marsh recorded an all-the-way win on her dressage score (23.75 penalties) in Section A on Micmac.

There were doubles for the South Union, Scarteen and Tipperary Branches. The South Union winners were Rian Tagney on FVS Jester Million (Intro Intermediate) and Samantha Gash Hickey riding Charlies Freedom (Junior C).

Scarteen’s Sophia McGrath won the Junior Section B on Connies Way, with the double coming up in the Under 12s’ Section A through Georgina Purcell on HHO Wayne.

Similarly, Tipperary’s Laura Coonan won the Junior Section A on Melview Another Clover and the Under 12s’ Section B through Lucy Meagher riding Cosmic Call.