The Irish Pony Club

The Irish Pony Club Race Day was held at the Curragh Racecourse on Sunday 26th September 2010

Race Day a Huge Success
Our inaugural Irish Pony Club Raced Day at the Curragh was a resounding success! Our thanks must go to Evan Arkwright, Commercial Manager of the Curragh Racecourse who put in a lot of work to co-ordinate the day and who helped to make it so successful. The good news for those of you who misssed this great occasion, is that Evan has announced that the Curragh will be happy to host another Irish Pony Club Race Day in 2011 on the 25th September. Put this date in your diary now!

Glorious autumn sunshine added to the wonderful atmosphere at the famous racecourse, where over 5,000 people attended. A sizeable number of these were there to support the Irish Pony Club with visitors from many branches around the country there to celebrate the end of a successful Pony Club competition season.

Pictures above were taken by Tony Parkes of EPS

2010 Champions Honoured
Winners of the various Pony Club Championships throughout the year were honoured on stage between each race. John Flood, a Meath man of Tetrathlon fame, did a great job as MC and had lots of snippits of information about the various teams.

The winning teams from the various disciplines; Tetrathlon, Minimus, Hunter Trials, Horse Trials, Mounted Games, Show Jumping, Dressage, Musical Ride, Combined Training, were acknowledged on stage. Everyone was turned out immaculately to showcase their disciplines and their branches. Well done to everyone.

The presentations were made to the winning teams, courtesy of TRI Equestrian, whilst a spectacular Musical Ride display by the Co. Clare branch that took place on the racecourse was one of the highlights of the day.

Jockey Skills Course
14 year old Joe Doyle from the North Tipp & Ormond Hunt branch was the inaugural winner of the Jockey Skills Course, which was run in conjunction with the Irish Pony Club and the Racing Academy and Centre for Education (R.A.C.E.). Ten members of Pony Club branches from around the country were selected from numerous applicants to take part. Joe will receive one week of work experience at Aidan O’Brien’s world famous Ballydoyle Stables, a guaranteed residential trial to gain a place on RACE’s Trainee Jockey year long course, together with private jockey coaching session with a RACE Instructor, clothing courtesy of Josephine O’Hagan and €250 voucher from TRI Equestrian. Runner up Megan Carberry from the Ward Union branch will also spend one week at Ballydoyle.

Competition Winners
The winners of the on-line competition on this website to have a race named after them were the Bray Hunt Branch. The last race of the day was named The Bray Hunt Branch of the Irish Pony Club Maidens. Three members of the branch David Bourke, Miriam Bourke and Katie Dunphy had the honour of presenting the race winners with the winning trophy.

The North Tipp & Ormond Branch won the second part of the on-line competition and selected the best turned out on the day.

Other Racing News on the Day
Casamento gave County Kildare based trainer Michael Halford his biggest race success of his career when landing the prestigious Group 2 Juddmonte Beresford Stakes and is now rated as a leading contender for next year’s Classic races. Halford also saddled Hujaylea to win the Whitney Moore Trophy for owner Ged O’Leary, brother of Ryanair boss Michael. Bright Horizon gave Aidan O’Brien his first success in the Hackett’s Bookmakers Irish Cesarewitch when landing the valuable race under jockey Colm O’Donoghue. Former Kildare pony Club member David Wachman saddled two winners including Chrysanthemum, winner of the CL Weld Park Stakes.

The new garden enclosure at the racecourse was official named the Drogheda Memorial Fund Garden dedicated to the memory of Anne Brewster during a ceremony which took place during the afternoon. Anne Brewster enjoyed a very strong association with the Curragh Racecourse as both a leading owner and trainer. Some of her major successes at the Curragh included Zenobia winner of the Irish 1000 Guineas in 1960; Mystery winner of the National Stakes (Group 1) in 1961; Partholon winner of the National Stakes (Group 1) in 1962 and Sindon who carried her colours to success in the Irish Derby in 1958.

The Drogheda Memorial Fund was established in the 1800s by the Earl of Drogheda for the permanent and temporary financial relief of trainers and riders when in necessitous circumstances, arising from age, sickness, accident or misfortune and also for the widows and children of such persons. The naming of the garden area provides the Drogheda Memorial Fund with substantial opportunities to create awareness of the fund and the work carried out. A generous donated was made by the foundation set up by her late father William C Bullitt to the Drogheda Memorial Fund

Racing returns to the Curragh on Sunday 10th and Monday 11th October for the final two days of the 2010 season. Admission on the 11th October is free.