Nadine & Damien’s wedding present steals the show at Christmas bowling evening

Just a short year after their big day, Nadine and Damien were last night finally presented with our club wedding present — a magnificent group portrait by Marina of the three animals with which they will forever be associated: Armstrong, Molly and Harvey. We might be lacking a vet in the club but there can’t be too many riding clubs who can boast an artist of Marina’s talent! The likenesses are incredible and the character of each animal is captured perfectly.

Earlier in the evening it was apparent that couples need to invest more than a mere year in their marriage before peaking in the bowling stakes. Nadine and Damien finished amongst the also rans while Libby and Rick carried off the prize in the Best Couple category. Their chances were helped greatly by Rick’s performance in taking the Best Man title with the night’s top score. Although missing Enda and thus ineligible for the couples’ championship, Marina still managed to thwart Tanya and take the Best Girl title. Mike Cuffe and Vera took the coveted “worst” crowns, with Vera picking up a very nice set of farrier’s pincers for her sporting effort. The prize-giving ceremony took place during the most enjoyable aprés bowl dinner.

A very big thanks to Marina for organising the whole evening (and to Damien and Nadine for getting married).

Table quiz brings us within sight of the finishing post

Last night’s table quiz at Arena 7 was generously supported despite the sub-optimal date and everybody present had a very enjoyable evening. The “Ballymacool & Into The West” team of Mick, Suzanne, Paddy & Paddy’s son led the field for most of the evening but stumbled badly in the final round to allow their dogged pursuers, “The Winning Team” of Rachel, Ed, Vera & Libby to pip them at the post and finish in a dead heat with a non-club team, “Dix Point”. The tie-breaker didn’t go the club’s way so The Winning Team wasn’t quite the winning team, taking second place instead.

Between the table quiz and the raffle (in which Suzanne won a very nice headcollar and leadrope for Basil) we raised €318, bringing the total proceeds of pony club and riding club fundraising for the IHWT to within euros of our “Raise a Grand” goal. Well done to Audrey, Mick and Suzanne for organising the event.

Some news from regional AGM

At the end of the day, nobody from our club managed to attend the regional AGM on Wednesday night but some pieces of news are trickling down in advance of the formal minutes being circulated.

Orla has been re-elected as Regional PRO and all the main committee members remain unchanged. No decision has been made about any show dates. The regional league, run over the entire year in 2010, reverts to its earlier form of separate Spring and Autumn leagues. Qualification criteria for the finals has been changed to attendance at just three shows in each league.

More news in due course if anything significant emerges.

Hectic horseless week ahead

With the exception of Monday Club, there’s no need to pull our horses out of the stable for any riding club activities until Friday 10 December. But that doesn’t mean that there’s nothing going on — not by a long shot.

The Western Region AGM takes place this Wednesday at Markree Castle in Sligo. It’s open to all our members. If you’re interested in attending, contact Orla on 087 643 2458. If you cannot attend but have any business which you’d like to have raised, let Orla know in advance. Subjects such as regional qualifiers, show dates, etc. are the usual topics for discussion (and the discussion can be heated!).

On Thursday evening we have our IHWT fundraising table quiz at Arena 7 in Letterkenny. It’s unfortunate that the quiz falls on the day before our bowling night but Arena 7 dictates the date at short notice. It’s an ongoing Thursday evening quiz series so we can be fairly confident that it will be supported by a crowd of regulars. Nevertheless, if you can make it on the evening, your support would be greatly appreciated.

And on Friday evening we have our Christmas Bowling, again at Arena 7. If you haven’t already let Marina know on 086 821 6335 that you plan to go, please do so as soon as possible. You can pay on the evening and the cost is €22 for a bowling session followed by a 2-course dinner. Bowling begins at 7.30 pm.

Fundraising table quiz for IHWT, Thursday 25 November

In a joint effort with East Donegal Pony Club to Raise A Grand for the Irish Horse Welfare Trust, the club has organised a table quiz at Arena 7 on Thursday next, 25 November. 12 months ago the pony club raised €600 in their fund raising effort. Please do your best to get out and support the quiz on the night so that the riding club succeeds in bringing the total up to €1,000.

Teams of four, as usual. Contact Audrey on 087 285 3687 for further information.

Missy — 7 yr old 16hh mare for sale or loan

Mandy would like to remind everybody that her mare, Missy, is on the market. Alternatively, she’s available on loan to the right home.  Since reaching the decision to part with Missy, Mandy has sent the mare to Richard Smyth for further schooling and she is now going very well and happily jumping a meter. Here’s the original description:

Missy is a very good looking bay half-bred type, approximately 16hh and 7 years old. She’s full of character and is forward going. Good to shoe and box. She’s happy hacking out, jumping, and showed promise when Damien schooled her cross country last summer. Mandy feels she deserves a chance to develop her potential and will make an ideal partner for a riding club or older pony club rider with the time and the ability to bring her on. She has a passport and is fully vaccinated. The offer of a good home is the most important factor in selling her.

Contact Mandy on 086 838 3848.

Club subscription remains the same for 2011

AIRC HQ have today announced that they are reducing their element of our annual membership subscriptions by €5 for 2011. See the AIRC website for full details. Our subscriptions however will remain the same as in 2010. We will decide at our next club meeting how we want to use the €5 surplus. Ideas include a €5 donation per member to an equine charity or a €5 per member payment towards safety training.