With Anne taking over in the Secretary’s hot seat, last Thursday’s club meeting was well attended and very productive. Significant annual events such as the Northwest Team Challenge, Flowerhill, Carrickfinn and our summer Derby & Dressage show were chiseled into their slots, allowing the rest of the calendar to fall into place around them.
We have a great series of flatwork lessons lined up to keep us on the straight and narrow through the Northwest League season, as well as clear round jumping and a lesson over poles at critical points as the competition hots up.
Marina has 14 stables booked for club members at Flowerhill and they are already over-subscribed. This means we have another Galway odyssey to look forward to on Sunday 19 April. Earlier that month we have ride-outs and cross country schooling to help eliminate the idea of coloured poles from our minds.
Our Northwest Team Challenge, this year for the Audrey Jacob Cup, takes place as usual at Eglinton on Sunday 26 April. There are no confirmed details for the RDS team qualifier as yet. As soon as they materialise, schooling sessions and/or lessons will be organised for those planning to compete. Maybe 2015 will be the year we make it to Dublin. Never say never!
Our Derby & Dressage show is pencilled in (subject to confirmation) for Sunday 14 June while we head to Carrickfinn to camp a month earlier in mid-May (when the weather is always at its finest…).
On top of our own club calendar, there’s plenty of activity planned collaboratively by the Donegal clubs. We hope to run a 2-Phase league in the summer months with events at Ryan & Liz’z place in Carrigart, Mona & Charlie’s place in Killybegs, and at either Lenamore or Deelside here close to home.
For now however all focus is on the first leg of the Northwest League on Sunday 8 February. Remember that Letterkenny is responsible for running this show so Cormac and his crew will be expecting all hands on deck. The league runs to its normal format with one notable change to the points system. Your best three points results from the first four shows will count, together with your double points at the final. In other words, you have a discard score after the first four shows. This should make things interesting!
The only thing that stands between us and the NWL is the promise of a great night out this Saturday for bowling and dinner at Arena 7. See you there!
Letterkenny Riding Club 