Carr and Howley win big pots

Date Published: {J}

THIS year’s Rockmount Winter League started in mid January during the icy cold conditions.

Much praise is due to all the competitors, who braved the coldest winter in decades to come out week after week to jump their

ponies and horses.

This perseverance paid off for the Bockman Trailers Sponsored Leading Riders in both the Pony and Horse Sections of the League. John Carr took the Pony Section on his pony Howley’s Hero and Martin Flesk on his own Caladonia won the Horse Section.

On Sunday morning, the sun shone and the youngest children’s

competitions got under  way. The under 12’s section of 128 ponies made a great start to the day, some jumping against the clock for the first time.

Shane O’Brien on Woody was on fine form, winning the first two classes with Rebecca Norman on Galtee Dolly hot on his heels taking second.

The 138cm pony section ridden by the under 14’s saw Heather Henry on Parkroe Toby have a super round, quick enough to win the first of the 138 classes and then Eimhear Flaherty on Greggsfort Lucy took on the bigger fences to win both the 138 90cm and 1m finals.

The Corrib Saddlery sponsored under 16 yrs children were next up in the 148 section. This, as always, proved to be the most competitive jumping of the pony finals. With an excellent standard of riding, over difficult tracks, built by coarse builder David Moore, there were some super fast rounds against the clock giving the crowd a lot to cheer about.

Sister and brother Aisling and Michael Duffy, Turloughmore, had a fantastic day, Aisling winning the 148 90cm on Kathryn Duffy’s Sligo Supreme Killard Absolute and Michael winning the 1.10 and 1.20

finals, both on Aidan Malone’s Carnroe Robuck.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.