Following two hard qualifiers in Simmonscourt, the successful pony riders took to the main arena last Friday to contest the TRI Pony Championships.

Action kicked-off in the early morning, with 14 combinations in the 138cm pony division taking to the main arena. Athlone’s Kate Derwin delivered the first clear and following this, a further five joined her in the timed round. Derwin kept the pressure on in the jump-off as she negotiated a series of tight turns with Sligo Lux to Queeney, crossing the line clear in 36.91.

Double-handed in the jump-off, Jason Foley got his first look at the course with Bear Me In Mind. Foley was on target, but four faults at the penultimate planks ruled them out of contention, but his time of 34.38 proved good enough for sixth.

Charlotte Houston opted to take the longer route with Woodfield Superstar and it paid off as she lodged a clear in 38.51 for third. Next in, with Shaman Sundance, Leah Stack also delivered a clear in 38.67, which saw her slot in behind Houston in the lineup. Trudie Mccoosh’ decision to play it safe with Lily Clover paid off as she crossed the line with nothing to add in 40.18 for fifth. Last to go, with Kiltormer Hero, Jason Foley threw caution to the win, cheered on by the crowds, he galloped through the beams in 34.80 to take the championships, leaving Derwin to take the second place. Delighted with the win, his mother Sorcha said: “Jason brought the pony on himself, so it is a very special win as he has worked very hard. This was his last year in 138cm and a great way to move on.”

The 148cm saw 14 competitors battling it out for the title. With the combination causing its fair share of problems in the first round, just four proceeded to the jump-off. First to go against the clock was Hannah O’Shea and Cinderella Girl. Things didn’t go to plan for O’Shea as they faulted at the last and their time of 37 seconds saw them finish third. Next in, Patrick Hickey and Wischin Chin M crossed the line carrying eight faults in 39.17 for fourth.

Jennifer Kuehnle was the first rider to deliver a double clear. Riding Our Foreman, she kept it tight and crossed the line in 40.87 seconds to take the lead.

Last to go, with her second mount More Clover, Hannah O’Shea kept a cool head and although she left all the poles in place, a clear in 41.09 was not enough to take the class, but insured her the runner-up spot.

Fastest of the four faulters in the first round in 66.13 was Cormac Foley and Crown Jewel, while Grace O’Donnell and Orchid’s Vienna slotted into sixth (66.68).

“The pony has plenty of experience, but he is not the easiest pony to master. I knew that I could trust him and we just did our best without going crazy,” said Kuehnle.