The Irish Pony Club

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Irish Pony Club Race Day at the Curragh
Sunday 25 September 2011

Thank you to everyone who came along and enjoyed our 2nd Race Day. The weather was very unsettled so the awards presentations were moved indoor. The windy conditions did not affect the wonderful Musical Rides that were performed by the Laois and Island branches and all the riders and ponies were fantastic.
Special thanks to John Flood who was MC for the awards presentations and to Evan Arkwright, Commercial Manager of the Curragh for all his work in instigating and coordinating this great initiative.

A packed program of entertainment during the afternoon provided the Pony Club with the opportunity to highlight our various activities with presentations supported by TRI Equestrian to the winning teams, including Horse Trials, Hunter Trials, Mounted Games, Minimus, Tetrathlon, Show Jumping and Dressage taking place during the afternoon, while there was Musical Ride performances from the County Laois and Island Branches of the Pony Club on the racetrack between races.

Appropriately former Pony Club member Joseph O’Brien rode two winners for his father Aidan on Nephrite and Harrison’s Cave. Former Pony Club member Tony Mullins trained Rock and Roll Kids to win the Irish Pony Club Race Day Trophy and received the winning trophy from Carlow branch member Romy Bolger, while Jim Tyrrell from the Laois Hunt Branch judged the best turned out horse in the race.

One of the most exciting aspects of the day was a Jockey Skills Training Course, which took place over the weekend at the world renowned Racing Academy and Centre of Education in Kildare Town for 10 Pony Club members.

Eimear O’Brien from the West Waterford Branch was announced as the overall winner and received a prize including one week of work experience with leading trainer Michael Halford, together with private jockey coaching session with a RACE Instructor and €250 voucher from TRI Equestrian.

Eimear O’Brien from the West Waterford Branch receives the Curragh Irish Pony Club Jockeys Skills Course Perpetual Trophy from trainer Michael Halford, also pictured are Belle Balding Chairperson of the Irish Pony Club, Keith Rowe of RACE and Laura Slater of TRI Equestrian, together with the other participants in the course Sean Mooney (Bray), Mikaela Weld (Kildare), Rory Fox Scott (Kildare), Chelsey Heaney (Galway Mid Country), Hannah Rose (West Waterford), Nina Lee-Simpson (Meath), Aidan Byrne (Wexford), Craig O’Neill (Kildare) and Annie O’Neill (Beara Branch)

See below for some photos from the day, but if you have pictures you would like to include, please email them to webmaster@irishponyclub.ie