Donegal Gaeltacht Riding Club have published the schedule for one of the year’s most eagerly anticipated events. Their famous Beach Show takes place on Sunday 5 June at Ballyness Bay, Falcarragh. The 2011 schedule includes an impressive range of showing classes on top of the show jumping and dressage events that we’ve seen for the past several years.
Donegal Gaeltacht Beach Show | June 2011
Pictured below: Memories of the Beach Show, June 2010
There may not be bright blazing sunshine in prospect for this weekend’s camping expedition but in light of the current conditions, who’s going to quibble with “Cloudy and milder with rain tapering to a couple of showers” on Saturday? The weather should definitely be campable so it’s all systems go for the trip.
Contact Damien on 087 763 1911 to book. There’s a limit to the number of horses that can be accommodated but it’s well worth going just on your own two legs.
Gamble Photography’s collection of shots from Sunday’s show is now on line:
Gamble Photography
The Farming section of the Independent is running a great competition for AIRC members in next week’s edition. Reserve your copy now!
Martina has quickly completed the paperwork for Sunday’s show and already has the full results to hand. In her thorough scrutiny of the dressage sheets she spotted an error in the Intermediate results that were announced for the class on the day. Somehow Anne Chamber’s excellent test on Molly was overlooked in the heat of the action. The performance earned her second place in the competition. As a consequence, everybody from the original second spot onwards gets ratcheted down a notch.
Anne, we’ll be getting you your prize and rosette. Everybody else: don’t worry, hold on to what you got on the day, but your league points will reflect the correct result. So you can relax, Damien — that purple rosette is yours forever!
This time it’s Francis who hits the headlines: His key has been found at Claremorris Equestrian Centre! It’s making its way by bank transfer to Cormac and the joyful reunion will probably take place at the weekend. (Here’s hoping there weren’t two almost identical keys lost at Hanleys!)
Pictured below: An uncharacteristically dejected Francis mentally retraces his steps at the team show jumping qualifier at Claremorris earlier in the month.
The weather was every bit as bad as anticipated but the shelter of Eglinton’s covered arenas allowed everybody enjoy our Spring League Show. 60th, 80th and 18th birthdays, first communion celebrations and all sorts of other seasonal events contrived to keep entries on the low side but this had little impact on the atmosphere. Wherever the three Donegal riding clubs are gathered together, there shalt be fun and excitement.
The level of enthusiasm for dressage was remarkable and a large number of riders risked being poured on to put their flatwork to the test in sloppy conditions under Jackie McPherson’s scrutiny. The rain held off for periods and there’s no record of anybody having had to reach for the dry pair of breeches.
Julia O’Neill of the Gaeltachts had a banner day placing first in all three of her classes on Autumn Fayre — the Advanced Primary dressage and show jumping, and the Primary/Advanced Primary Pairs with club mate Carmel Ferry. Marina also kept a clean slate on Jenny (London Jen), winning both the Intermediate dressage and the Advanced Intermediate show jumping classes.
Martina had a great win on Smuggler in the Primary dressage, a class that also saw notable performances from competition novices, Maura and Finbar. With an eye for accessories, Maura won the yellow rosette that best matched Hannah’s striking yellow club numnah.
Entries were low in the Advanced Intermediate category but that took nothing from Tanya’s excellent first and second places in the dressage arena where Al had the upper hand over the newly-back-in-work Jack.
Damien and Libby had a side bet on which of them had ridden the worse test at Intermediate level. Libby came out the winner and she pocketed a fiver while Damien had to make do with a purple rosette for sixth place. To compensate for their spectacularly bad dressage performance, Libby and Mai (Somhairle Red Tiger) pulled out all the stops to win the Intermediate show jumping class with the fastest clear round in a 5-way jump off.
Liz and Judy were another partnership to perform notably better in the jumping ring than the dressage arena and they pulled off a great victory in the Primary show jumping class. Liz was very taken with the smart gilt-edged red cooler she won and considers it rather a shame to give it to a horse!
For the first time ever we didn’t take home a single un-won Open prize. Patricia Warren and Bruce Vial gave each other great competition in both the dressage and show jumping classes at Open level with Patricia coming out on top over the day. Patricia conquered Bruce in the Open Dressage while Bruce took the Open individual show jumping class. But Patricia made it two from three with a great victory in the thrilling closing event, the Intermediate & Above novelty speed class. Bruce took second place with our own Erica and Britney powering their way into third spot.
The only other prize up for grabs at the end of the day was the infamous pig. That trophy will be making its way to the Galway/Roscommon border to live in the cold comfort of Paul Hughes’ new fridge freezer.
It was a typically enjoyable and relaxed event with great friendly rivalry creating the kind of atmosphere that would be the envy of many clubs. A big thank you to everybody who came out to support the show, to Nadine, Damien and Erica for all their hard work in preparing and running the event, to Martina who now has the task of completing the competition paperwork, and to everybody who helped out in any way on the day.
Pictured below: Maura preparing for her dressage test while Orla looks on from her perch on Britney; Julia O’Neill picking up one of her three red rosettes on Autumn Fayre. There are a few more photos in the Gallery but keep your eye on the Gamble Photography website for a proper collection. And check out Bruce Vial’s multi-coloured garlanded bridle in the Gaeltacht’s gallery!
No sooner had you begun to think there’d be no need to cross the county border with your horse until Millershill than Cloncaw Equestrian publish details of their very tempting 2-Phase League.
There are five events in the series, taking place on Sundays 22 May, 24 July, 21 August, 18 September and 9 October. The competition is open to all riders so will be of great interest to families with adults and children who enjoy their cross country. More details can be downloaded below or visit the Cloncaw website.
Dates for three non-AIRC show jumping events are now set in stone — welcome additions to the local calendar at a time when the cost of travelling is prohibitive.
On our own turf, Mary Finneran and the crew at Glenleary are planning their second annual summer show on Sunday 26 June in Ramelton. The programme is likely to follow last year’s pattern with a variety of show jumping and dressage classes for adults and juniors. Contact Mary Finneran on 086 170 2357 for further details.
Packie Ferry and Tommy McGinley are running their infamous show jumping day in Falcarragh on Sunday 17 July with the coveted Perpetual Cup up for grabs at 90cm. More details later.
Earlier in the calendar, Stephen Greene and his cronies will be running another show jumping show in Annagry at the time of the Annagry Festival on Sunday 29 May. Anyone can enter the competiton. Junior classes will start with Welcome Stakes, beginning at 11am. Senior classes, starting at 60cm, will follow in the afternoon. Contact Stephen on 087 285 5689 for further details.
Erica will lead a ride-out this Friday evening leaving from Dawn and Laura Howard’s house close to Ramelton. Meeting time is 7pm. The route covers approximately 5 miles of quiet roads, grassy lanes and forestry. For anyone who’s been in the club for a few years, it’s over the same countryside as Tony McCaul’s ride-outs that Francis arranged in the past.
If you plan to go, contact Erica on 083 370 9333.
Directions for Erica’s Ride-Out
Letterkenny Riding Club