Whilst I may have been entrusted with the position of club secretary, I can confidently state that it was not due to my I.T skills. I managed to lock myself out of the club website back in April and it has taken until now to find my way back in. So I offer my sincere apologies to the rest of the club members who had hoped to keep up with developments at all levels via the club website. Facebook and WhatsApp have kept us ticking along, but it’s good to be able to get back online on the official site. So what have we been at??
Our annual outing to the AIRC National Hunter Trial Championship fell prey to the crappy weather back in April. Flowerhill Equestrian Centre, near Portumna in Co. Galway, is a truly superb venue for the championship but they are rather low-lying and rely on the weather Gods feeling benevolent if they are to cope with the big numbers involved in the national event. With the annual calendar already pretty chockablock there were no alternative dates and venues available so the cross-country junkies among us had to resign themselves to waiting till 2025 for their chance at glory on the hunter trials field.
The next big date on our calendar was the Team Showjumping Championship qualifier. We didn’t have the makings of a team in 2023 but 2024 saw four keen competitors ready to take on the best in the West at the back end of April in Ballinasloe. These qualifiers have almost always been held in Tubberbride Equestrian Centre, near Sligo, as it is reasonably central to the region, but the 2024 rendition was composed by Tynagh RC and took place in the Ballinasloe Showgrounds. It was a super venue and the host club did a top-notch job of running the event. Our team had a nervous couple of days on the run-up to the day as yours truly managed to break her hand the Tuesday before the competition. The A&E team at LUH did a sterling job of patching me together and, with the aid of a stronger bit to help with the brakes on my ever-enthusiastic mount, our team of Myself, Anne, Francis and Suzanne succeeded in enjoying a fantastic weekend away and put in some great rounds of jumping. Admittedly some other teams put in slightly better rounds of jumping, with Benbulben RC taking the win to qualify for the RDS, but I’m confident that none of them enjoyed the day as much as we did. Top marks to the Benbulben team who have since taken the win on the national stage at the RDS.
May saw the show season wind up to full steam, with Benbulben running their summer show on May 12th at Tubberbride. Our own Francis McNicholl had a very worthwhile journey down, coming home with wins in both showjumping and dressage aboard his handsome Kerrykeel Darcey. Inishowen RC held their annual show on the June bank holiday weekend, with an interesting spread of classes covering both working hunter and showing. Letterkenny club members Suzanne, Jennie and Erica took home coveted red rosettes in their classes and received a great boost of confidence heading into the summer’s shows.
The second weekend in June brought the AIRC Festival in Mullingar Equestrian Centre. This is a massive affair, with classes for every shape of horse and experience of rider (except the xc-junkies). Letterkenny fielded six riders and everyone took home rosettes of one colour or another from their different classes. The socialising was up to standard, the camp-site left nothing to be desired (except perhaps a few hours sleep) and the club spirit in evidence was the best thing about the whole weekend. It was an excellent outing and well worth putting on the calendar for next year. It also gave a nice run-up to our own annual Audrey Jacob Team Challenge. The AJTC is always a good, fun day, with clubs fielding teams in both dressage and show jumping. The show jumping is run using the same format as the team show jumping championships at the RDS, meaning all competitors get at least two chances in the ring. While Stracomer RC may have bagged the win in the jumping, our own club managed to get on the winners podium in the dressage arena, with a strong performance from all four team members.
July brought the much anticipated regional training day. This year Stracomer RC ran the day and it took place at the beautiful Necarne Castle, in Irvinestown. The coaching was top class and, as always, the social element of the day was fantastic. The training was particuarly well timed as so many of the participants were headed to the Regional Dressage Qualifiers the following weekend. The Inishowen RC took the win in the coveted team competition, but Letterkenny nailed a couple of Individual classes, leaving members the option of heading to the National Dressage Championships on September 1st.
The August bank holiday weekend saw enthusiastic competitors heading west to the stunning Ballyness Bay, beside Falcarragh. This is the renowned venue for the famous Beach Show, run annually by the Donegal Gaeltacht TC. The show now acts as a memorial for their great past member, Lawrence Smyth. Our own Regina Toland retained her grasp on the memorial cup, following a super win in her show jumping. The show draws entrants from well down the west region, with riders planning the date into their holiday plans from early in the year.
Aside from riding club competitions, our members have been busy going to various agricultural shows and some Eventing Ireland excursions. The AIRC drerssage championship is just around the corner, closely followed by the eventing championship on September 15th. Closer to home we have our own annual Orla O’Reilly Show, with a full range of both show jumping and dressage at it, on September 29th. It is perfectly timed to get everyone up and going for the North West Autumn League, which runs through October and November. There’s lots to look forward to and if you aren’t already part of the club you can certainly join up and enjoy the autumn with us.
Letterkenny Riding Club 