AHEAD of the 2024 Punchestown Racing Festival, the ‘peerless’ racecourse was the venue last Sunday for the running and riding phases of the Fun Minimus and Tetrathlon, staged by the Kildare Branch of the Irish Pony Club.

The action started early in the morning at the K Leisure Centre, Athy, where the first group of competitors started their swimming phase at 6.30am, and this was followed by the shooting phase, where applicable, in the nearby Ardscoil na Tríonóide.

Sponsors TRI Equestrian (who have some great videos up on their social media pages) were very much visible at Punchestown where, because it was their first outing on grass this year, the Fledglings’ course was set at 60-70cm. A novice class, for those who didn’t take part in the swimming and run phases, was then held over the same track for roughly an hour.

Dedication

Thanks to the calm dedication of the Kildares’ District Commissioner Ruth Masterson, the day ran to time. Her large team of helpers included former multiple champion Irish jumps jockey Ruby Walsh, who was in charge of the run phase, and the ever-enthusiastic John Flood, chairman of the IPC’s Tetrathlon and Minimus Committee, who, having overseen the shoot, moved to the cross-country course, designed by Adam Stevenson on ground prepared by T.J. Dillon.

Ruby’s daughter Isabelle, who had been on the bronze medal-winning Pony Eventing Nations’ Cup in Belgium the previous weekend, finished best of the Kildare members in the Junior Girls’ Tetrathlon. However, the host Branch had earlier struck in the Senior Girls’ competition, thanks to the efforts of Ellie Dillon, who accumulated 4,204 points.

Ellie Dillon won the Senior Girls’ competition for the host Branch, at the Fun Minimus and Tetrathlon, staged by the Kildare Branch of the Irish Pony Club \ www.meldoyle.ie/ Nicole Doyle

The 16-year-old finished seventh in her swim (916), second in the shoot (760), won her run (1,128) and was one of nine competitors (from 16 starters) to hold on to her full quota of 1,400 points in the ride phase. Also clear across the country on their way to finishing second, third and fourth were Meath’s Meabh Long (4,150), Tipperary’s Anna O’Callaghan (4,148) and Duhallow’s Victoria Roche (4,110).

Senior Boys

There were 20 starters in the Senior Boys’ competition, where the honours went to another 16-year-old in Jamie Hargaden (4,469).The Carlow representative placed third in his swim (1,146), fifth in his shoot (740), completed his winning run in 9.29 minutes, which earned him 1,183 points and was one of 11 to record a clear round in the ride.

North Kilkenny’s Seán Cooke finished overall second on 4,301 points, with Sonny McCartan third on 4,245, just in front of fellow Co Limerick Branch member, Nathan Ruttle (4,218).

Junior Girls

There was a better result for the Duhallow Branch and the Roche family in the Junior Girls’ section, where 14-year-old Caroline came out on top with 4,816 points.

In Athy, Roche won both her swim (1,296) and shoot (880) phases while, at Punchestown, she finished third in her run (1,240) and recorded one of 25 clear cross-country rounds. Representing the Ward Union Branch, Clódagh Reilly slotted into second with 4,534 points, while Newcastle Lyons’ Emily O’Brien was third overall on 4,490.

Caroline Roche won the Junior Girls’ section for the Duhallow Branch, at the Fun Minimus and Tetrathlon, staged by the Kildare Branch of the Irish Pony Club \ www.meldoyle.ie/ Nicole Doyle

Two Killinick Branch members came out on top in their respective competitions, starting with Joe Codd, who amassed 4,786 points in the Junior Boys’ event. This total comprised 1,176 for a third place finish in the swim, 850 for second in the shoot, 1,360 for placing second in the swim and the full 1,400 for the ride. Also going clear, as did 11 others, were West Waterford’s Oisin Whelan, who was second on 4,673 and Edward Healy of the Duhallow Branch, who placed third on 4,667.

The Killinick double came up, and a Carlow/Hargaden brace was foiled, in the Boys’ Minimus (no shooting), where Max Doran posted the winning total of 3,732 points. The 11-year-old won both his swim (1,056) and run (1,276) phases and was one of eight to go clear over the cross-country course. Jack Hargaden finished second on 3,608, with Harry Murphy striking in third for Galway Mid County (3,592).

The Co Limerick Branch got among the winners when Grace Power amassed 3,784 points in the Girls’ Minimus, having finished sixth (1,072) in the pool, first in the run (1,312) and being one of 29 to hold on to their 1,400 ride points. Best of the remaining 72 starters were Duhallow Branch member Ciara Howard (second on 3,776) and Kilkenny’s Caroline Hughes (third on 3,760).

Fledglings

Boys and girls were mixed in the Fledglings’ class, where North Kilkenny’s Lucy O’Connell recorded the winning total of 3,304 points. She was fourth in her swim (856), seventh in the run (1,048) and was one of a dozen to end the ride phase on her full 1,400 points. Alex Walch of the Galway Mid County Branch placed second overall on 3,276, while North Kilkenny’s Katie Murphy finished third on 3,208.

The Waterford Branch will hold the next round on Bank Holiday Monday, May 6th, in Mallow and Kilguilkey House.