The point-to-point season may well be over but it was a busy weekend at the South Union Foxhounds’ track at Farrangalway where the staging of two one-day events proved a useful, cost-effective exercise.

On Saturday, the Muskerry Branch hosted the first southern qualifier of this year’s Irish Pony Club/Connolly’s Red Mills eventing series while, on Sunday, Knocknamanna Country staged a round of the Association of Irish Riding Clubs/TRI Equestrian one-day event series at the Kinsale venue.

“A few months ago, representatives of the hunt, Knocknamanna and ourselves sat down together and co-ordinated a weekend which would suit both clubs,” said Aine Griffin, organiser of Saturday’s event. “We then broke down costings and jobs between us and everything worked out well over the weekend. Of course, it helped that the weather was so good.

“The venue is perfect for all sorts of equestrianism as there is a shed on the top of the hill which can be used for the secretary’s office, catering, etc and you also have an excellent view of the track. There was a great atmosphere there on Saturday. We had a couple of tumbles in the under-12s class but there were few other problems.”

Griffin’s daughter Kelly didn’t have the best of times in the intermediate section with Syd but he was out the next day at the Riding Club event where Aine, a member of Earl’s Well, rode him to finish seventh in the intermediate class behind the former international eventer Pick And Mix II (Jill Moffatt).

In Saturday’s four-runner open class, there was a very comfortable success for Golden Vale member Jennifer Denny and Prince who added 20.8 cross-country time penalties to their winning dressage score of 28.8. All others incurred jumping penalties on the final phase.

A close result in the intermediate division saw two riders finish on 30 penalties. Tipperary’s Lucy O’Donnell took the honours with Highbury Lad as she completed on her dressage score while, representing the Waterford Branch, Clodagh O’Sullivan’s total with Cragroe Lad included 1.6 cross-country time penalties.

The Carberys’ Katie McKeon recorded an all-the-way win in the six-runner novice intermediate class where she completed on her flat work score of 34.8 with Jessie.

Tipperary’s Ruth McDonald landed section A of the junior competition on her winning first phase score of 22.9 with the 10-year-old skewbald gelding Mylow. Waterford’s Kate Lenihan and Sheebas Boy, finished second (23.7).

There were far fewer clear show jumping rounds in section B and one of those who had a fence down was Duhallow’s Ciara Sheehan who had shared the lead after dressage (27.5) on Ardgaineen’s Dream but then slipped to third. Also on 27.5 after the first phase was Carbery’s Gwen Hurley but she had to settle for second place when picking up 2.4 cross-country time penalties with Little Miss Sunshine.

Their misfortune benefitted Duhallow’s Sarah Healy who finished on her flat work score of 28.8 penalties with Polly The Pony.

Waterford rounded off the day with victory in the under-12s class thanks to Kym Jolly who, riding CEC Cue To Call, finished on her winning dressage score of 27. She was also third on Stonehaven Dazzler (29), split by clubmate Vivien Leslie on Tweety (27.5).