The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
2012 was a very successful year for Corofin resident, Leana Bartelink, whose ponies Poulcoin Spirit and Blaenpentir Darach won a number of titles.
Poulcoin Spirit was born and bred in Kilnaboy by Leanna’s family and has had a great career, including winning three championships and two reserves at the Dublin Horse Show in the show hunter and side saddle classes.
He has also been champion at the Irish Pony Society Championships five times. Last year he was named supreme champion pony of the year at the Irish Pony Society (IPS) awards in Kildare. This year, he bypassed Dublin to travel to Wales and England, where he won at the Pembroke County Show and Dunster Show in Somerset. He finished the season as intermediate pony of the year at the IPS awards in Kildare, where Olympic medallist Cian O’Connor made the presentations.
He is also the overall pony of the year for the second year in-a-row in the Limerick/Clare area.
Blaenpentir Darach is a purebred Welsh yearling, who arrived a year ago as a weak scruffy foal and ended the season as overall young showhunter of the year at the IPS awards, as well as reserve pony of the year in Limerick/Clare.
“We always had horses but got into showing when Poulcoin Spirit turned out to be very good at it. He is now 20 and still able to win any class. He is ridden by many different riders from all around Ireland, including Chloe Lacey from Wicklow,” according to Leana.
“My sister trains racehorses in England. I have two young sons, Brendan and Conor so haven’t had much time for ponies at the moment. I also have a yearling welsh cob that won the Welsh Section D Youngstock Award at the Irish association of the Welsh Pony and Cob Society awards. My father, Harrie, has purebred Percheron horses, which are traditional work horses,” Leana added.
