Friday evening’s cross country session at Marina’s place in St Johnston was a great success. Rachel marked out a 1700 meter course through two hilly fields and a section of the old Londonderry & Lough Swilly railway track that runs along the banks of the Foyle at the bottom of Marina’s family’s farm. Staking the course tested the stamina of the riders and made the effort required of the horses patently clear.
Given the inclines of the route, Rachel designated a fairly slow time as the target. Ed and Gabriel clocked the riders. Despite the steep hills which severely reduced the pace in both downward and upward directions, a couple of the fitter horses came remarkably close to the optimum time set for the track.
After riding the course twice and meeting Winnie, the pot-bellied pig, everybody enjoyed a wonderful spread of home-baked treats at the very welcoming family table. Many thanks to Marina, Enda and all the family.
P.S. If people would like to do this exercise again and we can find a suitable farm and evening, Rachel is happy to oblige. It’s an ideal introduction to cross country riding for novices. Martina and Rosa enjoyed their first cross country experience and the whoop of delight as they charged up the hill was proof of the exhilarating pleasure of riding a horse in open country.
Letterkenny Riding Club 