Jenna Coote and Mandy McQuade, District Commissioners of Seskinore Harriers Branch of the Pony Club, welcomed everyone to their recent Annual Awards Night.
The Branch ended the year with 64 members, 16 of whom were new members! The Branch is delighted to have them all and hopes that everyone has enjoyed this past year, as they now look forward to another busy year.
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Some of the Pony Club aims include “to encourage young people to ride and learn to enjoy all kinds of sport connected with ponies and riding and to fulfil their potential and meet their personal goals”. As a Pony Club, Seskinore said thank you to all the parents for “entrusting” their children to Seskinore Harriers Pony Club.
The Branch aims to offer a wide range of disciplines, both mounted and unmounted, and the committee spends a lot of time organising a variety of rallies and events and suitable groups in rallies to ensure that each child gets the most out of each lesson. Organisers pride themselves on offering good value and spend a lot of time and thought on suitable instructors.
Seskinore Harriers are always so pleased to see their members taking part in the wide variety of disciplines Pony Club has to offer, including games, dressage, show jumping, eventing, tetrathlon, quiz, arena eventing, horse and pony care and this year they also tried out Polocrosse, which was a real hit. Some of the younger members attended the games camps in Silverwood. Members worked hard with swim training and shooting training to prepare them for Triathlons and Tetrathlons throughout the year. The highlight of the year was a trip to the Irish Army Equitation Unit at McKee Barracks, Dublin, followed by a visit to the Irish National Stud in Kildare, dinner and a whistle stop tour of the TRI shop at Hallowe’en.
Throughout the year, the Branch received funding from FODC and the Education Authority, which enabled them to subsidise both rallies and summer camp. They also ran a Safe Fall course at a minimal cost to members. For most, falling from a horse is inevitable at some stage, unfortunately. Martial Arts instructors use techniques to teach the rider how to fall, so they could reduce injury, mainly through folding their body and rolling to avoid impact.
A lot of hard work goes into organising rallies and events in Pony Club, so on behalf of all parents and members, thanks were extended to the committee for their continued commitment and support.
Seskinore Harriers Pony Club was formed in 1974, so 2024 will be their 50th anniversary. Alongside the busy programme, they have planned lots of “extras” throughout the year and will finish in style with a GOLDEN BALL on Saturday, September 21 in the Silver Birches Hotel.
After the awards were presented, to finish the night, there was a brilliant disco by DJ Chris Entertainment.
BADGES GAINED
At the core of Pony Club, alongside working rallies, is horse and pony care, badge work and proficiency tests. This year, 35 members worked towards badges and 74 mini achievement badges were awarded and 55 achievement badges. Seven members passed their Mini Achievement Road Rider badge and four members passed their Achievement Road Rider Badge.
Mini Achievement and Achievement Badges
At the recent day rallies, they did stable management and some members passed the following badges:
9 x Mini Colours & Markings
3 x Mini Points of Tack
1 x Mini Points of the Pony
4 x Mini Basic Needs of a Pony in Summer & Winter
10 x Mini Pet Sense
12 x Mini Pony Behaviour
6 x Achievement Saddlery
1 x Achievement Pet Sense
3 x Achievement Colours & Markings
Efficiency Tests passed this year
E Test: Jimmy and John Donaghy
D Test: Charlie and Cassie Donaghy, Caroline Wallace, Jessica McCarroll, Lara Thompson, Henry Irwin, Lara Thompson, Leah Preston and Callie Cooke
D+ Test: Maisie Armstrong
There are a number of members working for their C and C+ tests and these can take up to a year to prepare for.
Mini Gold Badge
Mini Gold Badge - awarded to members, who have attained 14 or more Mini Achievement Badges: Caroline Wallace and Catherine Beattie
Area 17 Competitions
Throughout the year, members took part in many Area 17 Pony Club competitions:
Quiz at Antrim Forum, hosted by Killultagh:
Sea Otters – Isla Clarke, Henry Coote, Joey Dickson and Jessica McCarroll
Sea Turtles – Rosie Clarke, Pippa Dickson, Henry Irwin and Myra McCarroll
Area Games at The Meadows, hosted by Tullylagan:
Lead Rein – Toby Callion, Isla and Rosie Clarke, Pippa Dickson, Florence Wallace – the team placed fifth and place second in tack and turnout
Junior Assisted – Aoife and Ethan Gallagher, Jessica and Myra McCarroll and Caroline Wallace – placed sixth
Area Dressage at Maddybenny, hosted by Route:
Walk Trot – Myra McCarroll, Caroline and Florence Wallace – Florence’s mixed team placed first
Grass Roots – Lily Beatty, Annie Kelly and Rebecca Sheridan
Lily and Rebecca both qualified for the Regional Championships. Lily travelled and had a superb experience and rode a lovely test with her new horse.
Novice – Jara Hamilton
Area Trials at Hazeldene, hosted by Iveagh:
Chairman’s Cup PC110 Sophia Williams, placed second
Area Show jumping at the Meadows, hosted by East Antrim:
Mini Major qualifier – Elle-Mae McCrory
Mini 55cm – Ana Donnelly and Henry Irwin
PC70 – Catherine Beattie – mixed team sixth
PC80 – Stewart Beattie – mixed team fifth
PC90 – Lily Beatty, Callie Cooke Elle-Mae and Kaitlin McCrory
PC100 – Amy McLaughlin second
PC110 – Claire Murnaghan and Sophia Williams sixth
Amy McLaughlin qualified for the Regional Show jumping Championships, but was unable to attend.
Area Tetrathlon at Ash Hollow, hosted by Seskinore Harriers:
It was Seskinore Harriers’ turn to host this year and they were delighted to be on home ground at Ash Hollow, where the Callion family and Adam Stevenson pulled out all the stops and built an inviting, but challenging course. Unfortunately, the rain started and didn’t know when to stop! On the Saturday morning, all competitors braved the rain and floods in the fields during the running phase of the competition. Unfortunately, the rain didn’t cease; the course builder made the call that the cross-country course would be unsafe, so the Branch had to cancel that phase. All vehicles evacuated the field parking at Ash Hollow and they continued to Omagh Leisure Centre for the swim and shoot phases and held the prize giving there.
Beanies – Joey Dickson second individual, team first in the Sperrin Challenge, Pippa Dickson team third and Toby Callion team sixth
Tadpoles – Catherine Beattie third individual, team second in the Sperrin Challenge, Henry Irwin team fourth in the Sperrin Challenge, Lola Gallagher team sixth in the Sperrin Challenge
Junior Girls – Maisie Armstrong
Junior Boys – Stewart Beattie team third in the Sperrin Challenge
Inter Girls – Claire Murnaghan
Open Boys – Patrick Williams first individual, team first in the Sperrin Challenge
Open Girls – Sophia Williams second individual, team first in the Sperrin Challenge
Area Triathlon
Minimus – Henry Coote sixth individual
Tadpoles – Jessica McCarroll third individual
Beanies – Florence Wallace sixth individual, Myra McCarroll, Isla and Rosie Clarke
Home Champs at Lusk’s, hosted by North Down:
45cm Assisted - Brylei Gallagher
65cm - Catherine Beattie, Zara Blackburn, Lola Gallagher and Charlie Love
75cm - Lily Beatty, Emma McGillion and Orlaith McCarronn
In October, Seskinore Harriers hosted another very successful Area 17 Barrier Health Arena Eventing qualifier, triathlon and tetrathlon and were blessed again with the weather at Castle Irvine, Necarne. Those placing first to sixth in the 70cm-100cm qualified to attend the Barrier Health Final Regional Championships in March at Castle Irvine.
Arena Eventing Results:
70cm – Catherine Beattie first, Callie Cooke second
80cm – Stewart Beattie second
100cm – Amy McLaughlin first , Zara Smyth second
Well done everyone!
Barrier Health Dressage Qualifier
The Branch held a Barrier Health Dressage Qualifier, in partnership with Omagh RDA, in November. All Seskinore riders qualified to attend the Barrier Health Final Champion
Prelim 70 – Lily Beatty first
Grassroots 80 – Orlaith McCarron first , Lily Beatty second, Annie Kelly third and Rebecca Sheridan fourth
Barrier Health Show Jumping Qualifier
Elle-Mae McCrory qualified with a third place in both the PC80 and PC90 competition at Connell Hill.
AWARDS
CUPS AND TROPHIES PRESENTED TO MEMBERS FOR THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR
The Monteith Cup is presented for Senior Dressage – Lily Beatty.
Lily competed in the Area Dressage Grassroots competition on her new horse, Jack, who she’d had only a matter of weeks! They qualified and booked their ferry to Scotland to compete at the PC Regional Champs and rode a lovely test. What a way to start a partnership, think they have a successful future ahead.
Lily also took took part in the Area Show jumping PC80 class with a team fourth and Home Champs 75cm and is currently working towards her C Efficiency Test.
Seskinore Harriers Junior Dressage Cup – was awarded to two members, who travelled to Portrush for the Area Dressage. Both riders and ponies were beautifully turned out and rode lovely tests in the Lead Rein and Unassisted classes, with the younger of the two riders being on a mixed team, which placed first. They also gained 11 mini achievement badges between them throughout the year and Caroline also passed her D test. Florence and Caroline Wallace.
Junior Trials Trophy – went to one of the youngest members, who had a busy year learning in Pony Club taking part in the evening rallies (where she sometimes had a wee snooze when her sister rode), day rallies learning horse and pony care, as well as riding, dressage, SJ and XC training and swimming practice and attended her first camp. She gained seven mini achievement badges and in August participated in her first competition, the 45cm Assisted class at the Home Champs, where she rode smiling the whole way, making sure daddy knew where to go! Well done Brylei Gallagher.
Senior Trials LW Surphlis Trophy – went to Sophia Williams, who stepped up a level this year and competed at the PC110 Area Trials competition placing second.
The Seskinore Harriers Air Pistol Shield normally goes to the highest scoring competitor at the Area Tetrathlon competition and this year it went to Patrick Williams, who had a fantastic 900 shoot and a brilliant year’s shooting at all Tri and Tet competitions.
The TJ Patterson Perpetual Cup is awarded for show jumping. This year this went to Kaitlin and Elle-Mae McCrory.
Elle-Mae competed at the Mini Major qualifier at the Area Show jumping in July. Each year, the FEI five-star London International Horse Show invites eight lucky PC members, riding 128cm ponies, to take part in the Mini Major SJ class, where they are paired with a senior International rider to compete in a pairs relay with the PC member’s time deciding the winner.
Kaitlin qualified her five-year-old pony for the Junior Equitation class at Dublin Horse Show and was placed fourth out of a very strong class.
Both girls are keen show jumpers, but are also keen Pony Club members. Elle-Mae is working towards her C test and Kaitlin towards her C+ test and have been busy at both mounted and stable management lessons throughout the year, as well as having a go at the Polocrosse rallies.
Blair Tetrathlon cup is awarded to the best placed and most active member at Tetrathlon. Over the past few years, this has stayed in the same family and this year can go back to that space on the mantlepiece, as it was awarded jointly to Sophia and Patrick Williams, who have had a successful year at Triathlons and Tetrathlons, competing in the Open Girls and Open Boys categories.
At the Area 17 Tetrathlon, which Seskinore hosted, Sophia placed first individual open girl, first Sperrin challenge. She also placed second in the Area trials PC110.
Patrick placed second individual open boy, first Sperrin challenge.
They both travelled to the Senior Regionals Tetrathlon Championships at Meltown Mowbray in early August. Sophia placing second in the Open Girls class out of 65 competitors, with a very good swim, run and shoot and one of only 11 clear XC.
Patrick also placed second in the Open Boys class, with 37 competitors, with the highest shoot of 960, a brilliant swim and run and one of only five clear XC.
Travelling on from Melton Mowbray down to Warwickshire, they joined other members from NI Pony Clubs, who had qualified to compete in their respective age groups at the UK Pony Club Championships in Tetrathlon. Patrick again took first place in the Open Boys class, with the highest shoot and clear XC. Sophia also placing first with another clear XC.
The Championships cross-country riding course consists of a challenging 21 fences including the gate and slip rail elements pertinent to Tetrathlon, while the cross-country run was a tough course, with arduous inclines and a competitive field of runners.
It has been 18 years since a sibling group won the top Open placings at a Pony Club Tetrathlon Championship competition in the same year, so Seskinore Harriers are delighted, as Patrick and Sophia are the second siblings to achieve this.
The results this year have been amazing, especially for the XC phase, as both Patrick and Sophia shared Blaugheen (Sophia’s horse), so she definitely earned her carrots and well deserved rest at the end of summer.
As winning Open Boy, Patrick brought home the coveted Wilkinson Sword and Sophia, the Hellyer Challenge Cup. Well done on another superb year Patrick and Sophia.
Seskinore Harriers Hunt Cup is for a member who has been in Pony Club just over a year. This year, gaining nine Mini Achievement badges and one Achievement, including their Road Rider and also passing their D Efficiency test. One of the badges gained at camp was for plaiting, this involved lots of practicing with the help of Ciaran and some baler twine tied to a stable door!
Over the year, they’ve participated in all activities offered, always happy and willing to give everything a go, including swimming and shooting training and had a very good shoot of 720 for their first tetrathlon competition. Also took part in the Area Quiz, Area Tet and Area SJ.
This young man turns up at every rally smiling and both rider and pony are always very well turned out. His confidence on his pony and pony knowledge is increasing all the time and he is a pleasure to have in Pony Club: Henry Irwin
T&S Monteith Perpetual Shield went to someone who has been in Pony Club just over a year. She has immersed herself in all activities in true Pony Club spirit. She achieved her 10 Achievement badges this year and is currently working towards her C Efficiency test. She has attended most of the rallies offered this year, both mounted and horse and pony care, took part in swimming training and even gave games a go on her young horse, where she was confident and relaxed giving her horse confidence to try something new.
She competed on two of her horses at the Area Dressage competition, riding lovely tests and achieving a qualifying place for the Regional Championships, but was unable to travel.
We look forward to seeing Rebecca Sheridan trying out more new things this year on her young horse.
Bob Monteith Shield is going to someone who, over the years, has tried his hand at most Pony Club disciplines, gaining seven Achievement Badges this year and is currently working towards his C+ Efficiency Test. This year, he competed at Tri, Area SJ where his team was placed fifth and at Area Tetrathlon, where his team was placed third in the Sperrin Challenge. He changed horses this year, which was a big move, but they both took it in their stride and this partnership is looking good.
He was placed second in the PC80 Arena Eventing qualifier, again riding a different horse, so showing his adaptability. He is a really nice young man, who is pleasant and always prepared: Stewart Beattie
The Charlene Wilson Perpetual Cup
She competed in the PC100 class at the Area Show jumping as an individual, where she had two very good rounds in a competitive class and was placed second, just 0.5 seconds behind the winner and qualifying for the Regional Show jumping Championships in Offchurch Bury, Warwickshire, but was unable to travel.
She placed first in the Barrier Health Arena Eventing PC100 competition in Castle Irvine in October, qualifying for the final in March 2024 at Castle Irvine.
She has competed outside Pony Club in SJ and again has had a great year.
Amy McLaughlin, congratulations and you and Rhon are wished another good year.
Bruce McVeigh Memorial Perpetual trophy – this year is being awarded to our Lead Rein team who competed at the Area 17 Games – Florence Wallace, Isla and Rosie Clarke, Pippa andJoey Dickson and Toby Callion.
Between them, they have achieved 25 Mini Achievement badges, including Road Rider, Pony B Behaviour, Horse Clothing, Mucking Out, Tack Cleaning and Pet Sense.
It’s been lovely to see these younger members attending Pony Club with enthusiasm to learn all about riding and looking after their ponies, as well as making new friends.
They also competed in the Area Quiz, Area Tetrathlon and Area Dressage competitions, so have had a busy year.
The Branch looks forward to seeing them all progress at Pony Club this year and to watch partnerships grow, as some of the group have moved onto new ponies.
Omaglass cup is being awarded to the Assisted Games team, who competed at the Area Games – Caroline Wallace, Jessica McCarroll, Myra McCarroll, Aoife Gallagher and Ethan Gallagher. During the year, this group gained 29 Mini Achievement Badges, including Road Rider, Feed Your Pony, Mucking Out, Pet Sense, Pony Behaviour, Equipment Safety and 2 D tests.
They also competed in the Area Quiz, Area Tetrathlon and Area Dressage competitions.
Each of these young members are out at most rallies, smiling and sometimes having to ride with their pony with determination! The Branch look forward to seeing them all progress through the years in Pony Club.
Bridgit Kelly Memorial Trophy - went to someone who has participated in a variety of rallies, including mounted, dressage, SJ, XC, horse and pony care, swimming and shooting. Both pony and rider are always well turned out.
This year, she has moved up to a bigger pony and has taken it in her stride and they are starting to achieve. She placed second and fifth in Tris in the Springtime, then the Area Show jumping PC70 class, where she was just outside the placings, placed joint third in the Tadpoles class at the Area Tet and her mixed team in the 65cm class at the Home Championships was placed sixth.
She gained four Mini badges and one Achievement Badge. She is currently working towards her D+ test: Catherine Beattie