THE weather did its best to disrupt last Sunday’s two Irish Pony Club/Connolly’s Red Mills one-day events at Stradbally and Crecora and did have its effect on the day’s proceedings.

Warned of the incoming inclement weather, the Laois Branch, who had finished camp at Stradbally on Friday, decided to push back the start of the dressage phase by an hour to 9.30am so that humans and equines were safely under cover when the thunder and lightning struck at 8.30am. The start of the cross-country phase was delayed by 45 minutes.

There was no Open class here but the Intermediate was divided. There was a very comprehensive victory in Section A for Shillelagh’s Jane Fitzgerald who had over six penalty points in hand over her nearest rival as she won on the Irish Sport Horse mare Bloomfield Banner, a 12-year-old grey by Silver Banner.

Despite picking up a single time penalty across the country, Meath Branch member Meabh Long won Section B with the ISH gelding Dunran Marvel, a traditionally-bred 17-year-old by Sirsan. Killinick’s Kate Walsh recorded a narrow victory in the Intro Intermediate on board another traditionally-bred horse Redshire Molly, an eight-year-old grey daughter of Robin de la Maison.

In order, the three sections of Juniors were won by the Ward Union’s Maggi Caffrey on the Connemara pony Loughwell Bobby, a 17-year-old grey by Currachmore Cashel; by Wexford’s Molly Hennessy Murphy with the ISH mare Ballymacar Rose, a 10-year-old grey by Dolmen Deja Vu; and by Waterford’s Julie McDonald riding the Connemara gelding Shanbos Hazel Boy, an 18-year-old bay by Monaghanstown Boy.

Representing the Carlow Branch, Emily Flavin-Redmond claimed Section A of the Under 12s’ class on board Kilnamanagh Joe while the Killinicks hit the scoreboard again in Section B through Hazel Slattery and the Connemara mare Breolle Mist, a seven-year-old grey daughter of Banagher de Bregeon.