THE sun shone brightly for the Tipperary Area Summer Show at Ballylanigan House, Mullinahone last Saturday. There were 121 ponies entered over four rings and the majority travelled despite the warm conditions. Competitors remained mindful of the heat and many scaled back the number of classes contested with their pony’s welfare foremost in their minds.

Although a small Irish Pony Society Area, all hands were on deck from the members which made for a great show in beautiful surrounds. There were many comments on the fabulous working hunter track with credit due to Peter Ponsonby and course builder Joseph Murphy with many competitors using the interesting track on grass as a warm-up for this week’s Dublin Horse Show.

Judges remained upbeat despite the heat and found their Mini-Supreme champion in Jamie Greene’s delightful eight-year-old mare Woodroyd Go Go Girl, ridden by her son Cian (6). Jamie, who runs a pre-training breeze-up yard in Co Meath, was understandably thrilled and is looking forward to competing in the lead rein class at Dublin today (Saturday), a first experience for both and will be made all the more special by the fact that Jamie is recovering from a horrific leg injury where she broke both her tibia and fibula in February. In the reserve spot was Rachel Lane’s prolific winner Barkway State Affair, ridden by Amber Lane.

Unanimous

The Supreme Champion was a unanimous decision for the judges and was won by Bernie Roches’s stunning 10-year-old dun Connemara stallion Killaneen Boy, ridden by Chloe Roche (15). This son of Western Boy recently joined the Roche family who are based out of Hollypark Equestrian Centre in Limerick, a newly built equestrian facility which will be open for shows in the coming months. The pony was previously owned by Lucinda Kelly who purchased “George” in 2016, as a four-year-old from the late Colm Costello who had successfully produced him in hand. Colm was undoubtably smiling down on Ballylanigan last Saturday! Chloe paid tribute to her coaches Brian Moran, Bill Maguire and Jodie Moran and is really looking forward to competing in Dublin this week.

The reserve spot was awarded to Sarah Rymer’s adorable chesnut gelding Creevelea Midnight Rambler, bred by Jean Campbell in Co Letrim, and ridden by Sarah’s daughter Isobel Rymer. The Supreme Working Hunter pony title went to Michelle Brennan’s Fortunate Max, ridden by Tekka Whelan, who had a 4am start and came forward as the novice working hunter pony champion.