AT the 2018 Irish Pony Club Minimus championships, the Meath Branch quartet of Isabella Gogan, Josh Williamson, Matthew Love and Emily O’Regan finished fourth in the team competition and won the riders’ trophy, having recorded four clear rounds over the cross-country course at Punchestown.

Fast forward to last Sunday’s Golden Vale Foxhounds’ point-to-point at Turtulla, where three of the team took one another on in the novice riders’ open race. This was won on the David Christie-trained Ramillies by Alan O’Sullivan, a former member of the Duhallow Branch, who was recording his second win between the flags to go with one on the track.

Josh, who has ridden two winners on the racecourse but was having just his third point-to-point ride on Sunday, fared best of the Meath trio, as he finished four lengths back in second on Hardline, who is trained for his mother Janet by Gordon Elliott.

Matthew, who was fifth individually in those Minimus championships (for riders under 12), and Emily both pulled up their mounts before the second-last fence.

Matthew was on board the Ciaran Murphy-trained Down The Highway, with whom he won a similar race at Punchestown in February, while Emily, who was having just her third ride, partnered the Cian Collins-trained Diegos Way. Emily continues to compete in IPC activities and was on the Meath team who finished fifth in the Senior Girls’ competition at this year’s national Tetrathlon championships.

Minimus team mates Matthew Love, Emily O’Regan and Josh Williamson took each other on at the Golden Vale Foxhounds’ point-to-point at Turtulla

Josh and Matthew both represented Ireland in eventing and were members of the gold medal-winning team at last year’s European pony championships in Strzegom, Poland, with Ardeo Fireman and Lucky For Some respectively.

Isabella Gogan is competing two horses under Eventing Ireland rules and, still a member of the Meaths, also does the odd Pony Club event, although she is mainly concentrating on passing her H and A Tests. The 17-year-old rode out during the summer for local trainer Gavin Cromwell, so perhaps she will get the racing bug too.