Galway Pony Clubs on the rise again after period in doldrums

Talking Sport with Stephen Glennon

Ater a fall-off in numbers participating in pony clubs during the economic downturn, the sport has begun to grow again much to the delight of those involved, particularly those engaged in the plethora of pony clubs in Galway.

One of those is Ruth Waldron who is District Commissioner for the Ballinasloe-based East Galway Hunt Pony Club – Waldron explaining her ‘District Commissioner’ title, and role, is basically the equivalent of a club chairperson.

“You would be dealing with the same things such as Garda vetting, all the child protection courses and all the committee duties, so it is just the admin side to it,” she says.

It is a busy time for Waldron and Galway’s pony clubs at present. At the beginning of the month, they held their area finals – in which all the Galway clubs took part – while in late July the winners from that event will go on to compete at the Irish Pony Club Festival 2018.

Waldron explains there will be a large representation from Galway travelling to the national championship finals in Barnadown Equestrian Centre in County Wexford between Thursday, July 26, and Saturday, July 28, including a number of teams competing at U12 and U14 levels. Among the disciplines riders will be competing in are showjumping, dressage and mounted games.

For East Galway Hunt Pony Club’s part, Waldron is hopeful they can contribute to some Galway success. “Please God. We had a decent enough run of it last year. Our Robert Bailey team came third in the nationals and we are hoping we might do something again this year. But, sure, we will go and enjoy it anyway.”

Many would perceive being involved in a pony club is all about sho jumping but nothing could be further from the truth. Waldron outlines there is now such a variety, with their members investigating other avenues of the sport as they get older, such as dressage, eventing and the increasingly popular modern pentathlon.

“You might be familiar with Pentathlon as it is an Olympic sport,” continues Waldron. “There are five disciplines in that. There is a run, a shoot, swim, fencing and then they have the cross country on the ponies. In pony club now, we have a three-phase competition and that would be a run, swim and cross-country riding on the pony.

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