Meath Hunt Pony Club riders are Leonard Cup Champions

Success at RDS Dublin Horse Show

The Meath Hunt Pony Club were victorious at the 2023 RDS Dublin Horse Show when they were crowned senior champions, winning the Leonard Cup for a second year in a row. Their journey to the RDS was quite remarkable as they also won each of the RDS qualifiers under the watchful eye of coach Mark Crowe from Dunsany.

Mark is also a very well-known International Games Referee, recently returned from competitions in Denmark and soon to depart to take part in the world International Mounted Games Association World Team Championships in Australia. Mark first became involved in Mounted Games in 2010 through Meath Hunt Pony Club when his children started riding.

“It has been a real pleasure to train these young kids," he said. "The team comprised of Jack Mangan, Lauren Callery, Sadhbh Monaghan and Hariet Mangan who were a part of our 2022 winning team. They were joined this year by Daniel Callery and his pony Cruise. They have all worked very hard to achieve all their goals. I have thoroughly enjoyed coaching them all and watching them transition from U10 level to their current positions as Senior Pony Club Games riders. In Dublin horse show we finished up on Saturday in second place and had a job of work to do on Sunday if we were to retain the title. The team came out focused on Sunday and played fantastic games to climb up into first position and then retain it for the remainder of the finals”.

Daniel Callery on Cruise

Daniel and his pony Cruise (Cavan Boy) have clicked very well in less than a year together and were both on the 2023 Bath & West Team. Daniel's fortunate to be on the Meath hurling and football development panel. He is captain of the hurling team at St Patrick’s Classical School Navan and loves playing the guitar.

Lauren Callery on Jimmy

Lauren is from a farming background and has always been surrounded by Irish Sport Horses at Cookstown Stud Farm in Kells. She also plays mounted games (MGA). She attends Eureka Secondary School in Kells. She was very lucky to be riding Jimmy at the RDS this year, who is owned by Kathryn Daly.

Sadhbh Monaghan on Storm

Sadhbh is 15 years-old. She attends School in St Michael’s Loreto, Navan. Her favourite hobbies are Gaelic, ski ing, and MGA. Sadhbh plays Gaelic with Seneschalstown GFC, Navan. Sadhbh is also a member of the Mounted Games Association of Ireland. She started to ride at six years old and play mounted games at seven years, commencing from under-10s upwards.

Jack Mangan on Sprite

Jack rode in his first competition at under-10 Level at the National Ploughing Championships. He also plays MGA. Jack travelled to the Royal Windsor Horse Show with his pony Sprite in 2022. He also represented Ireland on the under-15 team at the European Championships in Wales. Jack plays rugby and hurling for Navan RFC and for St Patrick's Classical School.

Harriet Mangan on Scooby

Harriet Mangan is 14 years old. She has been playing mounted games since she was eight. She is so lucky to have been given Scooby to ride for the past four years. This year Harriet represented Ireland at the Royal Windsor Horse Show. Her brother Jack is also on the Meath team. When not riding Harriet plays football with Wolfe Tones GAA.

The team have now let all their ponies out for a well-deserved break from regular training. They will resume competing at the National Ploughing Championships, which coincidentally was won by these unstoppables in 2022.