THE Moira Equestrian Centre in Co Down, which caters for both the racing and equestrian communities, was the venue last Thursday week for the third and penultimate qualifier for the working hunter pony classes at next month’s Dublin Horse Show.

The qualifiers are run in conjunction with the Irish Pony Society, whose Wicklow Area chairman, Johnny Kyle, course builder for all four legs, commented: “The jumping was a lot better at Moira than at the first two qualifiers and it was great to be able to hold it on grass.”

The IPS also appointed the judges for the qualifiers, and here these were Ryan Anderson (jumping) and Desna Lewis (flat). Anderson had to step down for the 158cm class, where the jumping phase came under scrutiny of David Kirkpatrick.

Three of the five classes were won by show jumpers although, as she is just seven years of age, perhaps Cara O’Connor might veer towards the world of eventing now following her debut success on the well-named In It To Win It (84 points) in the starter stakes. She also finished fourth on Rathcoole Rupert (79.5).

As her father Cian was jumping in Prague, Cara’s mother Ruth O’Connor was the one who had the nervous task of watching their daughter take on this new challenge.

“Some of Cara’s friends competed in the qualifier at Mullingar, so she decided she would like to try the working hunters as well,” revealed Ruth. “When she was at the Kildare Pony Club camp last summer, she loved jumping banks et cetera so, when we checked out the conditions to see if she was eligible to compete, we were happy to enter the qualifier.

“We did what schooling we could at home, and also went over to Killossery one day, while I consulted friends for advice and studied the class rules and conditions to make sure we went to Moira with our homework done. Cara has been jumping In It To Win It since the end of 2022, but Rupert is really her brother Ben’s ride and she had her first jump on him when schooling for the starter stakes.

“We now just have to make sure that both ponies complete at the final qualifier at Killossery (held on Wednesday this week) and then Cara will have to decide which pony she wants to ride at Dublin. She is very excited at the prospect of competing there.”

For the record, Rosita Dunne finished second with the nine-year-old Welsh gelding Fontmell Jack Sparrow (81.5), completing with 80 points, show jumper Lucy Kent was third on the similarly-aged skewbald gelding Milos (who, like In It To Win It and Rathcoole Rupert, is registered as Grade A with Showjumping Ireland) and Judy O’Donnell qualified in fifth on Tafwys Flying Hawk (78).

Reigning champion

While O’Connor was making her working hunter debut at Moira, Nancy Teehan Lyons is the reigning Dublin starter stakes champion with her mother Louise’s Tybroughney Cloud, who her sister Robin has qualified for this year’s renewal.

Now competing in the 133cm division with the 20-year-old grey gelding, Teehan Lyons added victory here to her win at Mullingar and by an even wider margin. The 11-year-old rider and Tybroughney Cloud amassed 100 points to comfortably see off Max Doran and the nine-year-old Grade A mare Hopgarden (74).

Doran was recently crowned boys’ champion at the Overlander/Irish Pony Club Minimus Championships, where he represented the Killinick Branch, while Teehan Lyons was on one of the North Kilkenny teams.

Recently Doran was on the Ireland Green team that won at the mini international Tetrathlon in England - he also won the individual boys’ competition.