OVER 100 individual ponies were entered across the in-hand and ridden classes at the Irish Pony Society’s Kildare/North Leinster Area spring show held last Sunday at Killossery Lodge Stud where the recent heavy rain once again meant the grass field was out of bounds.

Jessica Murphy has been in winning form of late and, following her very successful visit to the Northern Ireland Festival in Cavan and, prior to that, the Irish Pony Society spring show at Castle Irvine, Necarne, the Co Wexford rider landed the Intermediate title here with her mother Melissa’s Darcy de Chanteloube.

Registered with the Anglo European Studbook, this French-bred 11-year-old by Rotspons Prince MFS advanced to the championship having won the Intermediate show hunter class. The reserve champion was the novice Intermediate working hunter winner Glasson Shadow who was ridden by Freya Alken for Helen Burns.

Nearly unbeatable at Cavan, Helena Hennessy Ruane’s Dartans Atom Man won Sunday’s open 153cms show hunter class under the owner’s daughter Aoibhinn but the 10-year-old chesnut gelding had to settle for reserve in the championship behind the 143cms winner, Underhill Bobcat. That seven-year-old Riverford Love Song gelding was ridden for Co Wicklow’s Fiona Goor by her daughter Charlotte.

Goor junior qualified two ponies for the novice working hunter championship, viz the 143cms winner, Ciara Durham’s Connemara gelding Agharanny Knight, and her mother’s 133cms winner Silmarillion All That Jazz. A delicate situation no doubt but the rider’s decision to stick with Agharanny Knight paid off as that 10-year-old Banks Timber grey took the title with the four-year-old Silmarillion All That Jazz finishing reserve under Emily Marnane.

Second in their 153cms class, Suzie Cosgrave partnered her mother Siobhan’s 15-year-old bay mare Kilcoltrim Swift to victory in the open working hunter championship over the 133cms winners, Carol Coad’s multi-tasking Frosthill Jackaroo (Isla Coad).

Connemaras came out best in the ridden Heritage championship. Lucinda Kelly took the title on board the novice Dunran Mr Darcy, a five-year-old home-bred by Brock Lodge Buster, while Sadhbh O’Connor stood reserve with the over 138cms Mountain & Moorland winner, Hillside Rebel.

The striking skewbald Tidkin Talisman won the combined 138cms/148cms class before going on to land the show pony championship under owner Jennie Curran’s daughter Amira. The 11-year-old, who qualified at Castle Irvine, Necarne, for the coloured pony class at the Royal International Horse Show in Hickstead in July, is a son of Harroway Mr Harlequin. The Caoimhe Kennedy-partnered Creevelea Little Red finished reserve.

Local rider Cian Greene claimed the mini working hunter title on the beginner cradle stakes winner, David Byrne’s 26-year-old My Starlight. Tipperary’s Rohan Moloney stood reserve on the lead rein working hunter winner, Zoe Shannon’s 20-year-old Welsh mare Tabita Mini Minx.

Happy trip home

Riding for their mother Maeve, Andy and Evie Kennedy returned to Co Tipperary with two titles to their credit.

Andy was the first to strike when guiding Maihem First Edition, a 12-year-old Ballagh The Boss gelding, to victory in the starter stakes championship ahead of Casey Lee Millar riding the family’s Bunbury Suarez.

Evie’s time to shine came in the Heritage working hunter championship where she claimed the title on board the Connemara gelding Little Dromin Phoenix, a 14-year-old son of Lettermuckoo Lad. Andy kept the pressure on all the way but had to settle for reserve on the small Mountain & Moorland winner Maihem First Edition.

There were three mini flat championships. Local rider C.J. Greene won the show hunter title with the lead rein winner, his mother Jamie’s Woodroyd Go Go Girl; Stephanie Fleming partnered the lead rein winner, Orla Whelton’s Whiteleaze Secret Temptation, to victory in the mini show pony championship; and Kathy Geoghegan’s lead rein winner, Pantycoed Mercutio, won the mini Mountain and Moorland championship under Fionn Redmond.

Co Antrim exhibitor Elaine Sherrard claimed the in-hand championship with her two/three-year-old show hunter class winner Parkhill Fernandes as Ashleigh Tates stood reserve with the Mountain & Moorland winner, D’Abernon.

As usual, there was no prize money on offer at this show which, annually, serves as a fundraiser for the Area’s summer show. That is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, July 19th in conjunction with the two-day Tattersalls Ireland July Show (July 18th and 19th) at the Co Meath sales complex.