INTERNATIONAL cross-country riding returned to Punchestown last Saturday, when the Irish Pony Club hosted the Conlans Defender National Tetrathlon Championships at the Co Kildare racecourse, where the shooting and run phases also took place.

“It was wonderful to see competitors from Australia, New Zealand and the United States ride Irish horses over a brilliant cross-country track at Punchestown,” enthused John Flood, the IPC’s head of Minimus and Tetrathlon and one of the driving forces behind the International challenge.

“I have to thank IPC members and their families for so willingly lending their horses to the international competitors, who will never forget their ride around Punchestown, and we even had to supply one for a UK rider, whose horse couldn’t travel.

“It was a wonderful few days and many thanks to all those who made it such a success.”

There was a great social side to the weekend, but here we are concentrating on the competitions, which saw IPC members win the two international team events and both individual classes as well.

The Ireland Gold (17,833 points), White (16,257) and Green squads (16,088) filled the top three spots in the eight-strong boys’ team competition, with the Australians finishing fourth on 16,044.

The winning team comprised Jamie Hargaden (Carlow), William Verling (West Waterford), Peter Verling (West Waterford), Caolan Costello (Wexford) and Robert Cherry (Wicklow).

The Verlings topped the individual leaderboard, William claiming the honours on a total of 4,573, ahead of Peter on 4,484. Representing the UK Blue team, Area 17’s Patrick Williams, a member of the Seskinore Branch, finished third on 4,480.

Grace Quinn was a member of the winning Ireland Gold girls team at the Conlans Defender National Tetrathlon Championships \ Shane McGreevy

Eight teams also started in the international girls’ competition, where the Ireland Gold squad of Victoria Roche (Duhallow), Cora Finn (Wexford), Ellie Dillon (Kildare), Grace Quinn (Leitrim) and Aine Murray (Longford) topped the final leaderboard with 16,386 points to their credit. Ireland Green finished second with 16,194 points, ahead of UK Blue on 15,926.

A very proud Leitrim Branch was delighted to acknowledge Grace Quinn’s achievement of adding individual to team honours, when her total of 4,212 points held off the bid of Ireland Green’s Rebecca Lowe (Westmeath) on 4,112 and that of the UK Blue’s Georgina Crawford (4,080).

Mixed squads won both senior national team championships with the highest-placed Branches being the Limerick Legends, who placed third in the boys’ competition, and the Duhallow Diamonds, who occupied the same spot in the girls’ championship. Not too surprisingly, the individual national titles were won by West Waterford’s William Verling and Leitrim’s Grace Quinn (who, on 4,212 points, finished second on the day to the Beaufort Branch’s Jessica Telford (4,242).

It was great to see the interest in Tetrathlon at Junior level. Limerick Green saw off seven other squads to win the boys’ championship, while 21 teams started in the girls’ championship, which was won by the Duhallow Dashers. Limerick’s Alex Barry won a second title when crowned champion individual boy, while West Waterford’s Margaret Verling added to Branch and family success when landing the girls’ individual championship.

This weekend, the action has moved north, to Castle Irvine, Necarne, where Area 17 is hosting The Pony Club’s Senior International and Senior Regional Tetrathlon. Thirty-nine boys and a similar number of girls are due to start in the international competitions, which have received plenty of support from sponsors. Earlier in the week, the international competitors enjoyed a couple of days sightseeing along the north coast and throughout Co Fermanagh but, since yesterday, have moved into competition mode.