The Irish win team jumping contest at the Pony Club show jumping championships at Sansaw
The Warrington branch from Co Kilkenny continued the Irish domination of Pony Club show jumping championships with a decisive win in the team competition at Sansaw in Shropshire.
The only team in which all four members jumped double clears over the big, twisting course, this was the Warrington’s fifth victory in 12 years. They were also one of the youngest teams competing, with three members aged 14 or under riding ponies.
Heather Purcell on Acapulco, Nicola Lynch with Spear Flight, Mark Flynn on Jim’s Flight and Richie Moloney with Breeze Flight all rode cool-headed, accurate rounds to leave themselves in an unassailable position. When the Burton, who also ended on a zero score after the first round, faulted in the second, it was all over.
It was a hard-fought competition, with onlyone pole separating the first four teams, and the standard of riding was impressive throughout.
The Burton, another young team, finished just three penalties behind the Irish, closely followed by the Hampshire Hunt branch on four faults. The East Cornwall also collected just four faults, but were beaten on time by less than 1sec to take fourth place.
Darren McLinden captured the individual show jumping title for the Iveagh branch, continuing the Irish rout. Riding the grey seven-year-old The Gangster’s Diamond, he jumped three beautifully-judged clear rounds, wasting not a second over a jump-off course that caused other competitors a number of problems.
The pair also jumped a double clear in the team competition, as did Jacquetta Straker from the Zetland Hunt branch, who came second in the individual contest with a confident, fluid round on Salisbury.
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