Fermanagh to host international Pony Club Tetrathlon in August
Senior International Tetrathlon
FERMANAGH is set to host a prestigious international sports event in early August. The Pony Club Senior International Tetrathlon 2024 will feature 150 athletes from the UK, Ireland, USA, Australia and New Zealand.
It will be held at Castle Irvine in Necarne from August 2 to 4.
The public is invited to be part of the opening horseback mounted ‘ceremony of colours’ parade on August 1 at 3pm.
The competition which involves four phases, shooting, swimming, running, and horse riding, are encouraging people to watch the cross-country running and riding as well as the show jumping phases to be held at Necarne on August 3 and August 4.
Fermanagh siblings, Sophia and Patrick Williams have been appointed as vice-captains of the UK Senior Girls and Boys teams respectively following their unrivalled triumphs last summer at the Pony Club UK Tetrathlon Championships in England.
Since they were 10, the siblings, now 19 and 18 respectively, have been competing in Pony Club Tetrathlons.
Last week they won the Open Girls and Boys classes respectively at the Northern Ireland Tethrathlon Championships at Hazeldene Farm.
They have also qualified for the UK Tetrathlon Championships in August where they will compete to retain their UK Champions titles.
Sophia and Patrick’s parents, Heather Williams, head of the Northern Ireland Pony Club Tetrathlon, and Jonny Williams, a former Northern Ireland international tetrathlete, in corporation with the Northern Ireland Area and Senior International Tetrathlon Committee are spearheading the organisation of this event.
The Tetrathlon is a variant of the Olympic sport of Modern Pentathlon and serves as a major recruiting platform.
Competitors, especially at the senior level of up to age 25, are expected to shoot at targets 10 metres away using air pistols.
Competitors also run a cross country, 1,500m for girls and 3km for boys.
The competition encourages proper year-round training to compete successfully, but it is set to be an exciting event for the county.