Kingdom Pony Club gallops to the 25-year mark
THE Kingdom Branch of The Irish Pony Club will mark its 25th anniversary in The River Island Hotel in Castleisland on Saturday, December 22, with a dinner and a disco.
“The club is hoping to see members past and present and their parents there to help us celebrate 25 wonderful years of the club and would like to thank all the volunteers who kept the club running over the years,” said club spokesperson Mark McElligott.
The club has members from all over Kerry, and rallies are organised at different venues throughout the county catering for all levels of ability. The highlight of the year is the summer camp, which runs for four or five days, with guest instructors coming to Kerry from all over the country.
“The club’s achievements include winning National Horse Trials Championships and winning an under-16 Mounted Games National championship,” said Mark.
“In 1999 and 2000, we won the Senior Showjumping National Championship and went on to win the British Isles Pony Club Championship in England. We won the Intermediate Showjumping final also that year. Our Senior Show Jumping teams won the Horsemanship prize four years in a row , a record that still stands,” Mark said.
“Two of our members won the individual horsemanship award, Adrian Sheehan and Mark McElligott. Brian O’Sullivan was our Tetrathlon champion, winning numerous titles in Ireland and England.”
“Our most famous past member is Top jockey Brian Cooper. Nigel Anderton is Stud Manager at one of J P. McManus’s studs. Other past members are now Instructors while others have various jobs in the equine industry,” he said.
Tickets for the event, at €30 and €10 for under 12’s, are available by contacting Ruth on mcelligott.ruth@ gmail.com.