OUTDOOR sports are all the more enjoyable when the sun is shining and such was the case at Killossery Lodge Stud last Sunday for the Irish Pony Society Kildare/North Leinster Area show, where the large entry included many new members, local riders and Pony Clubbers.

As it was Father’s Day, not all section champions and reserves could stay to compete for the supreme champion title, but the five-strong judges’ panel of Mary Moore, Jennifer Byrne, Jane Scala, Carole Douglas and Mary Carter, who stuck to their task to the end, had eight ponies to assess.

After much deliberation, the quintet came down in favour of the flat Heritage champion Glenville Gleoite, who was ridden by Sadhbh O’Connor for her mother Aoife. Aoibhinn Ruane stood reserve supreme on her mother Helena Hennessy Ruane’s Intermediate champion Ballarin Bada Bing.

A five-year-old, and winner of her novice class, Glenville Gleoite is a grey daughter of Coosheen Stormboy. She was purchased privately early last summer by her Co Kildare owners from Co Clare’s Francis Murphy, who bred her out of the Currachmore Cashel mare Clooneybreen Peigín.

“She was unbroken and hadn’t done much apart from winning supreme of show at Oughterard the previous year,” Aoife told the Irish Horse World. “Sadhbh broke her and then turned her away to give her time to mature mentally. We were busy at that time anyway, with three Connemara stallions competing. She wintered out and was brought back into work from her extended holiday a month ago. She did one show previous to Killossery, which she won.”

It might be a bit of a challenge for a novice pony, but Glenville Gleoite and 21-year-old Sadhbh, who is studying Equine Science at UCD, are now qualified for the All-Ireland pony supreme championship at Killusty show next month.

Co Kilkenny’s Aoibhinn Ruane and Ballarin Bada Bing progressed to overall Intermediate honours by first winning their novice working hunter class. The traditionally-bred eight-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, who was reserve champion small hunter at Dublin in 2022, is by the thoroughbred stallion Campaign Swing out of the Irish Draught mare Gort Grey Mist (by Dunkerrin Grey Mist). Ballarin Bada Bing was bred in Co Laois by John Kilkenny.

A dual section champion on the day was the ISH mare Ardville Whispering Hope who, ridden by Co Wicklow’s Charlotte Goor for her mother Fiona, claimed the novice working hunter and the show hunter titles. Not long broken, the seven-year-old Kah Clintender bay was bred in Co Fermanagh by Ernie Somerville. She is one of seven foals, five of them fillies, registered on CapallOir out of the VDL Arkansas mare Ardville Killycairn.

Tristan Kelly on Litton Flashman, Champion Starter Stakes pony and reserve Heritage working hunter at the Kildare/ North Leinster Area Irish Pony Society Spring Show at Killossery \ Tony Walker Photography

Working hunter

Brothers Ned and Tristan Kelly returned to Co Wicklow with a championship win apiece on ponies owned by their mother Lucy.

Ned, the elder of the siblings, landed the open working hunter title on the 153cm class winner, the Connemara gelding Gypsy Junior, a 10-year-old strawberry roan by Coill Rua Champ, while Tristan claimed the starter stakes title on board the British-bred Welsh pony Litton Flashman, a 10-year-old chesnut by Moelview Moonstruck.

Tristan and Litton Flashman also stood reserve in the Heritage working hunter championship, where the winner was the Katie Tobin-owned, Elizabeth Cooke-ridden Connemara gelding Tawnagh Lad, a nine-year-old grey son of Classiebawn Black Jack.

Competing at her first IPS show, Ward Union Pony Club member Olivia Addis won the performance championship, having recorded the day’s highest score in the 70cm class on board her mother Laragh Bradley’s Georgie. In a poorly-supported show pony section, there was a great result as the champion was the Lynne Broderick-owned, Izzie Broderick Kiernan-ridden rescue pony MLHR Joey. The eight-year-old skewbald gelding won the novice class.

Co Kilkenny owner Zoe Shannon and her son Rohan Maloney won two of the mini championships, viz the working hunter title with the 21-year-old Irish-bred Welsh pony Tabita Mini Minx and the Heritage title with the 11-year-old British-bred Welsh pony Forlan Honey Balboa.

Co Kildare’s Jackie Owens led daughter Juliette to win the mini show pony championship on the 20-year-old British-bred gelding Fofsway Ganymede, while local rider C.J. Greene’s excellent season continued, when he won the mini show hunter title on his mother Jamie’s 20-year-old British-bred mare Woodroyd Go Go Girl.

Skerries-based Ann Grimes won the youngstock championship with her home-bred Irish Sports Pony Lambay Miss Dior, a two-year-old grey filly by Weydown Romeo out of Locksley Donatella Versace (by Northlight Galliano).