The August bank holiday weekend is the traditional date in the calendar for hundreds of annual events, including Mary from Dungloe. Nadine and Damien spotted some familiar Gaeltacht faces parading down the street! Free entry to our next ride-out for the first correct identification of the three suspects. Answers to Nadine…
Any of our members whose sole allegiance is to the riding club probably wonders why attendance at events at this time of year can sometimes be low. The majority of our members have their fingers in more than one club pie and know all about the demands placed on them in the peak of summer.
The 3-day Irish Pony Club Festival finished yesterday in Mullingar, fully occupying Suzanne (DC of the East Donegal branch) and Audrey (secretary), as well as several other parent members. Tanya qualified for the combined training championship with Al so was present as a competitor at the event. Congratulations to Suzanne and Mick’s daughter Gemma who finished 5th in her combined training competition on her Connemara, Jack (Holiday Anytime).
The highlight of the pony racing calendar takes place next weekend in Dingle and Rachel will be travelling to that with the family and pony hopeful, Lucky (She’s In The Stars).
As if all of that weren’t enough, the Errigal Polocrosse Club is now fully operational and training is taking place at regular 2-week intervals. The motley collection of children and adult members—and particularly the ponies—are beginning to appear somewhat more accomplished. You can see the evidence in the club’s website gallery.
Pictured below: The Errigal Polocrosse Club in training at Cyril’s arena, Milford.
The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is seeking AIRC members’ help in rehoming a number of horses. There has been a big increase in reports of animal cruelty over the past number of years and they have a number of animals seeking a new home.
Find out more about these animals on the AIRC or ISPCA websites.
Everybody who has entered a national championship in the last 12 months will be aware that their horse must be registered with the AIRC in order to do so. The introduction of the new registration system was the first step in the AIRC’s strategic plan to provide more recognition for the Irish breeder and horse across a broader section of the industry at an amateur level.
Today the AIRC announced that it has made awards to the breeders of the winners of the two top showing championships at this year’s Festival in June. It’s the first time in the Association’s history that a breeder has been recognised for their contribution to the industry. Read the full story on the AIRC website.
Anne Chambers will lead a ride-out through largely wooded areas at Killross, north of Stranorlar, this Friday evening at 7pm. It’s not a long route but proved popular when first ridden by the club a year ago.
Contact Anne on 087 610 6796 for full details.
Orla and Sharon O’Donnell both competed at the inaugural EquiFestival in Cavan at the weekend. It sounds like things went well for Orla, as she tells here:
Well we went and we survived! It was lovely to spend enough time on home soil for Molly to regain her Cavan accent! We travelled down on Friday, hit the show ring on Saturday and managed 4th in the Small Riding Horse and 5th in the Small Hunter — the minature horses in the next ring had the poor mare all agog and the gallop was interesting to say the least. If there’s ever a riding club battle charge, we are sorted! Sunday was dressage and jumping with lots of riding club faces spotted up at the jumping ring. Sharon O’Donnell and Jim Campbell both got on well and Benbulben’s team for the RDS looked to be in flying form. The last class of the day was the dressage to music which ran more than two hours over schedule. We scraped a third place in the prelim dressage to music so there was a little bit of delph to sit on the dash on the way home – always a plus for the long journeys.
Well done, Orla. Three placings out of three entries is a pretty impressive record.
Pictured below: Orla showing Molly in the Small Hunters at the Riding Clubs Festival, Stradbally, 2008.
Stephen Greene and his compadres from the Dungloe area are running a show on Sunday 15 August at Maghery. It’s a fundraiser for the North West branch of the pony club. There’s a very affordable flat entry fee of €15 for the day. The event ran last year for the first time but kept a low profile. Damien and Nadine attended and had a great time. The day ended with a surprise novelty relay race so best be prepared for something similar in 2010.
Some reports say pony club competitions take place in the morning with open competitions in the afternoon. Other rumours maintain that ponies jump first at each grade followed immediately by horses over the same height. Your best bet is to ring and find out for yourself!
Further details from Stephen Greeene on 087 285 5689.
It drizzled a lot but it was warm and there were no downpours – good weather by recent standards for our annual crossjump and dressage on Sunday. Attendance was on a par with 2010 despite the absence of many familiar Gaeltacht faces who had either indulged too deeply at a wedding the previous evening or were attending annual graveyard masses. The Tirconaills were well represented, Benbulben sent several members and, for the first time, we welcomed a Castle Leslie member, Lucinda Houston. Paul Hughes was present for the Tonabrockey RC in Roscommon, providing his indispensible walkie talkies as he has each year to date.
Our own Martina Boyle took first place at Primary level in both the dressage and showjumping. Also for Letterkenny, Leo took first place in the Advanced Primary crossjump on his daughter Geraldine’s horse, Cool. He also took third in the AP dressage – the class was won by Anne Chambers on Molly. Tirconaill’s Ruth Stack took the top spot in the Intermediate crossjump, followed home by Nadine on Molly. Bruce Vial had a bloodless victory in the AI Crossjump while Ruth Stack beat him in the Green Horse class on the pale green Badger.
Lucinda Houston won the Intermediate dressage on Elsie while Nadine won the Advanced Intermediate class on Molly.
It was a most enjoyable day. Reversing the direction of the cross country course was a great idea on Marina’s part and created new interest. Seamus’s show jumping course was excellent, riding nicely but providing a very definite challenge.
Thanks to each and every person who helped on the day or in the run up to the event, but most particularly to Marina and Keary who steered the ship over the last couple of months and made everything work on the day. Thanks also to Geraldine Graham who wasn’t present at the event but again made us most welcome at Lenamore.
Unfortunately none of the usual club cameras were in action on the day but Magda from Benbulben RC has sent us through some wonderful images which you can see in the Gallery.
LRC Crossjump+Dressage Results 2010
Pictured below: Charlie Vial and Ruth Stack of the Tirconaills warming up; Erin Fergus of the Benbulbens in action.
First and foremost, it looks as if the weather is going to play ball for our activities this weekend. Getting the course at Lenamore ready on Saturday is almost as big an event as the actual crossjump on Sunday. A crew of club members will clip, clear, saw, hammer, strim, hack, paint and polish the cross country and show jumping courses for our biggest annual competition.
Our inaugural crossjump took place in October 2008, the brainchild of Marina following a chance conversation she had with Geraldine Graham at the Horse Show. The weather on the day before the event will last long in the memory. Soaked to the skin and frozen solid, we slopped around in standing water battering the semi-derelict course into some kind of presentable shape. It took great faith in the Met Office to hold firm and not cancel the event. But the forecast was right and Sunday arrived clear and bright. We received crucial support from the other two Donegal clubs and, amazingly, attracted two visitors from the very extremes of the western region (Serena Finnerty from Castlecarraig RC in Ennis and Cathriona Goaley from Springmount RC in Galway).
In 2009, with the luxury of foresight, we nailed a date in late July and Geraldine Graham again generously allowed us use the venue. The appallingly wet summer meant that almost every cross country event in the country was cancelled but Lenamore’s fast-draining land allowed us proceed with safe, competitive ground conditions. Another year’s work on the course saw it looking spruce, attractive and professional. The event attracted more support and was again a great success. Kevin Clogher made the long trip from Dalysgrove RC in Galway to stake his claim as our furthest-travelled competitor.
This year we’ve already had inquiries from clubs in Monaghan and Leitrim. Hopefully these will turn into real entries on the day and we’ll see some new faces and new competition.
Pictured below: Memories from 2009
Cavan Equestrian Centre’s huge 2-day EquiFestival takes place this weekend and has attracted a lot of interest. Sharon O’Donnell and Orla from our own club will be competing in events on the extensive schedule and we wish them the very best of luck.
Letterkenny Riding Club