Carys and Milo are ‘stars’ of Flexi
Consistent form pays off for North Down Pony Club member
One of the ‘stars’ of the Baileys Horse Feeds Flexi Eventing this year was 16-year-old debutante, Carys Black from Bangor, Co Down. In the course of the League, Carys showed consistent form and was placed in the top four of the Intro dressage class on four of the five weeks she competed, which included a win on the final qualifying day.
She matched this excellence with consistent clears in show jumping and cross-country, which gave her sufficient points to put her second on the Leader board, just ONE point adrift of this year’s Champion, Denis Currie.
This achievement in the League, out of 577 combinations, in one of the most competitive seasons to date, is a reflection of hard work, determination and drive, coupled with natural talent and a love of the sport.
Partnering Carys on this journey was ‘Glencairns Little Monkey’, a nine-year-old pony, owned by her mother Lindsay. This grey gelding was bought three years ago and has been produced by Carys with help in the show jumping from James Hogg and from Fiona Young in the dressage, together the invaluable experience gained from attending Pony Club rallies.
Carys is a first year ‘A’ level student at Bangor Academy and Sixth Form College, studying Business and Sport and successfully combines her studies with her love of all things equestrian.
She is a very active member of North Down Branch of the Pony Club, completing her first event at the Pony Club Home Championships in 2021, where she came second individually.
This probably sparked the flame of love for eventing and, at last year’s East Down Pony Club Derby at Tyrella, she finished second out of a class of 86.
Lyn Dunlop, DC of North Down Branch of the Pony Club, said: “It is fantastic to see all her commitment and dedication to her sport culminate in this fantastic result at the Flexi Eventing. She is the perfect example of how effort pays off, a great ambassador for North Down Pony Club and we look forward to seeing what successes the season ahead has in store for her.”
Fuelled by that success and with the eventing adrenalin pumping, she then joined Eventing Ireland last year in time for Lightsource BP Tyrella 3 towards the end of April and, in the course of the year, they competed at six events culminating in the EI Grassroots Championships at Lisgarvan.
Looking ahead, Carys plans to continue eventing under EI and Pony Club rules. She has already qualified in all three disciplines at the Pony Club Spring Festival, due to be held at Castle Irvine, Necarne in March.
She is doing all this while producing another pony in her charge, a five-year-old Connemara called Ziggy.
That commitment from a 16-year-old ‘A’ level student is phenomenal and it augurs well for the future of the sport. No doubt we’ll be seeing the name CARYS BLACK in neon lights in the not too distant future. Everyone in Eventing Ireland wishes her every success.
