Having checked the forecast for Sunday almost every day last week, I decided the best approach was going to be relying on the woman of the hour to see us right. Safe to say Orla pulled out all the stops and provided us with a really nice autumnal day. We had one brief spit of rain, and we all thought the RC100 class was going to get a downpour, but the weather gods decided to treat us right and our show enjoyed bright, if somewhat chilly, weather.

The last AIRC show in the area was the Donegal Gaeltacht riding club’s ‘Lawrence Smyth Memorial’ beach show, on the August bank holiday weekend, so riders had had a chance to work up a bit of a hunger for an outing. Added to this was the fact that the first leg of the North West Autumn League is being held next Sunday, in the same venue as our “Orla” show, meaning that an outing with us was an ideal warm-up for the league. The result was that we had great support from our neighboring clubs, with riders coming from as far as south Co. Sligo to take on the Seamus McCaffrey designed show jumping course, or to strut their stuff in front of Dressage Ireland listed judge Yvonne Chisholm. The Torrens family had, as always, ensured that Greenacres Equestrian Centre was in excellent condition, with all three arenas immaculate, the canteen in full service, and the car park clean and clear.

Dressage kicked off at 11am and the programme included a full range of ‘Open’ classes to enable dressage enthusiasts plenty of opportunities to try out different tests at various levels. Judge Yvonne Chisholm saw 20 combinations pass through the arena (some in somewhat questionable directions and at speeds that might have earned the riders a couple of points on their licence if it was a tarred road) and managed to send everyone away with encouraging comments and a feeling that all may not, after all, be lost! Results from the dressage arena are as follows:

Class	Place	Rider	Horse	Club
RCP1	1st	Sara McGowan	High Cross Ruby	Letterkenny
RCP1 Open	1st 2nd	Patricia Ward Erica Robb	Cara Touche Prince Loughmelvin Nonin	Tirconaill Letterkenny
RCP2	1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th	Victoria Hopkins Jennie Peoples Liz Potter Veronica Lafferty Ann Keaney Veronica Lafferty	Madge’s Lane Jen Ballybay Girl Clyde Comet Roxy of Leckaun Chicago	Stracomer Letterkenny Dgl Gaeltacht Inishowen Stracomer Inishowen
RCP2 Open	1st 2nd	Erica Robb Anna Cathcart	Loughmelvin Nonin Carlito Diamond	Letterkenny Letterkenny
RCP3	1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th	Lauren McLaughlin Lynne Thompson Anne Chambers Anne Chambers Amy McGarvey	Cullion Midnight Blue LTF Democratic Queen Cicatriz Dunwiley Cassius Fin Rough Diamond	Inishowen Inishowen Letterkenny Letterkenny Stracomer
RCP3 Open	1st	Rachel Carton	Aughavannon Merlin	Letterkenny
RCN	1st 2nd 3rd	Claire Kirkwood Rachel Carton Francis McNicholl	Dominoe’s Way Aughavannon Merlin Kerrykeel Darcey	Inishowen Letterkenny Letterkenny

Traditionally the Orla show was a Derby show, with some memorable Friday and Saturday evenings spent enclosing arenas and building courses on green-field sites. In recent years the climate has conspired against jumping on grass in Donegal and the show has evolved onto an all-weather extravaganza. This year we decided to forego a derby style course and run two-phase show jumping instead, with the addition of highly affordable training classes to enable riders to warm up or bring on younger mounts. The format took some combinations by surprise as both steed and rider, expecting a breather after eight or nine jumps, found they were having to memorise and navigate fourteen jumps with sixteen jumping efforts. The course definitely took a bit of riding, with a tricky stile on a dog-leg half way through and a short double following on from a long run to the previous oxer. The second round provided a couple of time saving options for those brave enough to take them, but accuracy and careful jumping proved the order of the day for successful competitors on a day where clear rounds were few and far between in the higher classes. Judge Cormac McCormac had little difficulty in separating the prize winners in the end.

RC70 1st Mary Walker, Dawn, Donegal Gaeltacht

2nd Seana Sheridan, Lady Penelope, Stracomer

3rd Eilish Calgie, Madges Lane Jen, Stracomer

4th Amy McGarvey, Fin Rough Diamond, Stracomer

5th Lynne Thompson, LTF Democratic Queen, Inishowen

6th Eilish Calgie, Stracomer Golddigger, Stracomer

RC80 1st Liz Potter, Clyde, Donegal Gaeltacht

2nd Veronica Lafferty, Comet, Inishowen

3rd Victoria Hopkins, Madges Lane Jen, Stracomer

4th Hiudai Harkin, Fin Rough Diamond, Donegal Gaeltacht

5th Regina Toland, Grand Redelis, Letterkenny

6th Veronica Lafferty, Chicago, Inishowen

RC90 1st Charlie Vial, Vancouver Cruise, Tirconaill

2nd Jennifer Bonner, Autumn Cannon, Donegal Gaeltacht

3rd Mickey McHugh, Lily, Donegal Gaeltacht

4th Shane McCole, Lisbrogan Swatch, Stracomer

5th Patricia Ward, Cara Touche Prince, Tirconaill

6th Anna Cathcart, Carlito Diamond, Letterkenny

RC100 1st Anne Chambers, Cicatriz, Letterkenny

2nd Shane McCole, Lisbrogan Swatch, Stracomer

3rd Stephen Greene, Indian Puzzle, Stracomer

4th Anna Cathcart, Carlito Diamond, Letterkenny

5th Mark Ward, Wild Child, Tirconaill

Letterkenny riding club are extremely grateful for the support and goodwill shown at our show in memory of Orla. She was a special lady and it was great to see so much enthusiasm and supportive, sporting spirit in her honor. Roll on 2025.

Photos below of the cup and shield winners on the day. For a comprehensive collection of photos please check out the Facebook pages of the five AIRC clubs in the Donegal District. Uploading multiple photos is beyond the abilities of my prehistoric laptop.

Dressage entries are closing this evening at 6pm and things are looking really promising for a great rendition of our annual Orla O’Reilly show. Riders from neighboring club Benbulben are joining members from all five Donegal clubs in an attempt to pickup some silverware and rosettes. The forecast is looking good and our course builder, Seamus, has promised us a challenge or two. Roll on Sunday.

The Association of Irish Riding Clubs has just confirmed that it will be reducing the membership fee for the remainder of the year. This means that for just E40 you can join our club and avail of a busy autumn calendar that will give you a very good idea of what riding club life is like. The reduced fees come into place on Monday 23rd, which means you will miss out on our XC training day at Dirraw Farm this Sunday, but with our Orla O’Reilly Memorial Show on the 29th and the North West Autumn League starting on October 6th, you’ll still have plenty to do. If you enjoyed the experience up to December 31st you’ll be able to avail of our reduced membership renewal fee for 2025. We like to reward loyalty!

Membership applications can take a few days to process so don’t waste any time in getting your details to us. You’ll find the application form on our itsplainsailing page https://www.itsplainsailing.com/org/letter and you will also need to upload a passport photo. You’ll find all the info about the photo at this link https://airc.ie/membersphoto/

Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions at all, especially regarding grading. You can also find a lot of useful information on the Join US page of this website, not to mention the wealth of information that is on the main AIRC website.

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.

The 1st of March is an important date in the Letterkenny riding club calendar as it is the first day of the new season’s WhatsApp group. Our club communicates primarily by WhatsApp, and the previous season’s chat group is kept active until the end of February as we all know it can take a while to get around to renewing memberships in the aftermath of Christmas and new year festivities. Fortunately almost all of our 2023 members are back on board and we’ve also greeted new blood for the 2024 season. With the days stretching nicely, and the horses winter coats starting to fall away, there is definitely a sense of anticipation for the activities ahead. Now is the time to run through the checklist of things to do before hitting the road south for any regional or national events.

Make sure you have your membership card downloaded. You will need to share this with the organising club of any inter-club, regional or national event. For information on downloading your card check out the following page on the main AIRC site https://airc.ie/card/

Get your horse, or horses, registered with the AIRC. You need to have a passport for your horse (this is a legal obligation, not just an AIRC one!). A fee of €25 will be applicable for any Horse Registration application received from the 1st April until the 30th June each year.  The service will continue to be free outside of this period. Find out how to go about registering your horse with the AIRC at the following link https://airc.ie/horses/

Is your gear up to standard? There are tack and turnout guidelines for each discipline you choose to compete in, but the absolute bare minimum when it comes to equipment is a riding hat that is up to current standards.

A number of older riding hat standards were withdrawn from 1st January 2023. The riding hat standards affected include the following:

PAS 015 (1998)

Snell E2001

From the 1st January 2023, only PAS 015 (2011) onwards, and Snell E2016 onwards, along with the ASTM F1163 2004a onwards with SEI mark, AS/NZS 3838: 2003, VG1 01.040 2014-12 with BSI Kitemark or Inspec IC Mark will be permitted to be used in any AIRC activity.

If you’re unsure about your hat standard just ask your club safety officer (Jenny Coe) to take a look at it next time we get together.

Body protectors are only compulsory for cross country training and competition. If you wish to take part in these events you need to make sure you have a correctly fitting body protector. From 1st January 2024, the BETA 2009 Level 3 body protector (Purple Label) will no longer be accepted for any AIRC activity. The BETA 2018 Level 3 body protector (see below) will be the only accepted standard for AIRC activities. For more information on body protectors and standards, visit the BETA website.

To check out the current tack list for any discipline you wish to compete in, go to the Downloads section of the main AIRC website at https://airc.ie/downloads/ and type Tack Sheet into the search box.

Take the time to download and READ the current AIRC rulebook. This aint pony club. We’re all big enough to wipe our own behinds and take responsibility for educating ourselves about the sport we choose to take part in. There are lots of very friendly people in every club, who will be more than happy to answer any questions you have, but you do have a responsibility to read the rules and make a genuine effort to follow them. Ignorance is no defense. Find the current AIRC Rulebook at the following link

https://airc.ie/app/uploads/D04_12-Rules-Regulations-Rule-Book-2023.pdf

Finally, and very importantly, check your trailer/lorry/ towing vehicle. Is the floor sound? Are the tyres in good knick? Are the wheels correctly inflated? Is the tow-bar/hitch in working order? Do all the lights work? Are the trailer/lorry sides sound, or can your horse step through them? Are the axles sound and secure? These things need regular checking…not just once a year. You will find it very hard to live with yourself if a horse (or, God forbid, a person) loses a life because you didn’t maintain and drive your vehicle correctly. Bite the bullet and get the yoke over-hauled!!

Horses or ponies must be registered with the AIRC in advance of entering any national championship or qualifier for a national championship.  Unregistered horses are not eligible to enter national events or any regional qualifier. If you have recently joined us, have purchased a new steed in the last year, or have been offered the ride on someone else’s horse, you’ll need to make sure your mount is registered with the AIRC before you can take part in any of the bigger competitions. Don’t worry…registration is FREE, as long as you submit the application before April 1st. If in doubt register. If you miss the April 1st deadline (fool) the registration will cost E25 until June 30th. This is because May and June are absolutely hectic at HQ and they really could do without unnecessary paperwork.

You’ll find full details about registering horses on the https://airc.ie/horses/ page.

The registration form is available at https://forms.zohopublic.eu/airc/form/AIRCHorseRegistrationFormNew20221/formperma/wiVIpMm4b0ghp55KxUt_sMiTsEA33sd-MGGGLTzfKxI

Remember; if you snooze you lose. A registered horse doesn’t have to compete, but an unregistered horse can’t compete.

 

For the first time since 2015 Letterkenny has been awarded the title of North West Club of the Year. Saturday 10th February saw members of all five clubs in the Donegal district join together at the Villa Rose hotel in Ballybofey, to share a good meal, some great craic, a bit of a boogey and the presentation of the annual awards for 2023. The districts hard working points officers had kept meticulous records over the year, allowing them to determine both the show-jumping and dressage riders of the year, Stracomer’s Eimear Dunne and our own Rachel Carton respectively. In years gone past the club of the year was also determined by using a points system, with a track kept of how many members from each club participated in inter-club events and of how successful they were. The decision to change the system came about when it was agreed between the clubs that riding club should be, and indeed is, about much more than just competing. A club can have a large membership of very active riders who get great benefit from belonging to the association without necessarily competing, leaving that club pretty much out of the running for club of the year if a points system is the deciding factor.

Club of the year is now based on a voting system, with each club nominating the club they feel is most deserving, making our award all the more appreciated. We are a small club (currently just 14 members, with a 15th pending) and it’s not always easy to find the time or the manpower to organise events, but with great goodwill we pull together to make things happen. Different members offer up their various skills to help in the running of shows, social outings and training days, ensuring that it’s not always the same person carrying the load. Most importantly we have fun doing it! We may be small but we are mighty.

The West region riding club calendar is filling up rapidly as clubs nail down dates for their annual shows and head-quarters confirm dates for the biggies…the National Championships. A lot of the dates can be taken as confirmed though, as with all events, it’s advisable to check with individual organisers before travelling. The uncertainties lie around the Team SJ Qualifiers, which are being held in Riverview Stables in Crossmolina, Co. Mayo, and the Team Dressage Qualifiers, of which the West has two, due to the elongated nature of the region, with the Donegal District qualifier being held in Eglinton. Each region must submit two possible dates for each qualifier to HQ by February 5th and the powers that be will then sort out who gets what dates. Hopefully we’ll have final confirmation of dates by the end of February and can then focus our attentions on fine tuning our training.

On a more local level we have the first leg of the North West Spring League on February 4th. This league, which features both SJ and dressage for all levels, is hosted by the five clubs of the Donegal District and the running of the first leg falls to the combined efforts of Stracomer and Donegal Gaeltacht riding clubs. The first leg is being held at the beautiful Necarne Castle in Irvinestown, Co. Fermanagh and is the first of three legs that come before the league final on March 24th. In order to be eligible for league prizes a horse and rider combination must take part in two legs plus the final. If you haven’t got round to joining your local club yet you’re not too late. Get on the ball and you could be taking home some of the very generous (and genuinely useful) prizes that are up for grabs. You’ll find details of dates, venues and classes on the poster below.

What a great day the AIRC West XC Clinic with top trainer Mandi King was. It was thoroughly enjoyed by all participants, including the resident cleggs, with everyone heading home full of confidence and enthusiasm for the summer. With participants from Headfort RC, Border Counties Riding Club, Benbulben Riding Club – SLIGO!!!!, Stracomer Riding Club, Donegal Gaeltacht Riding Club, AIRC Midlands, AIRC West, AIRC North East and of course Letterkenny Riding Club this training day was a great example of what riding club should be about….like minded people getting together to enjoy their equestrianism. Many thanks to Ash Hollow Equestrian for the top class facilities (especially the poshest loo ever enjoyed at an equestrian event). Special thanks also to our own Jenny Coe, who put in a long day as safety officer and made sure everything stayed on track.

The North West riding clubs’ spring league reached its conclusion at Greenacres Equestrian on Sunday. With idyllic weather and a large turnout the show was a great success and left all participants hungry for their next riding club outing. Stracomer and Donegal Gaeltacht clubs joined forces to run the day and did a super job of shoe-horning all the vehicles into the crowded car park, keeping classes moving and supplying all too irresistible baked goodies to sustain competitors throughout the excitement. As always the day’s jumping kicked off at the lower heights and in the RC70 class Stracomer’s Eimear Dunne continued her unassailable domination of the class by winning yet again and clinching the league title with a total of 28 points. Not too far behind her Donegal Gaeltacht’s Amy McGarvey finished on 23 points having made great progress at reintroducing her lovely Thoroughbred, Finns Rough Diamond, to the jumping game. Enda McCarry from Tirconaill was hot on Amy’s heels with a final score of 22 to secure him the yellow league rosette.

The RC80 class was very tightly contested on Sunday and in the end the clock was unable to separate the joint winners. One of Letterkenny’s new members, Anna Cathcart, who made her way from Ballyhiernan to enjoy her first AIRC outing with new mount Carlito Diamond, shared the podium spot with Inishowen’s Claire Kirkwood. As it was Anna’s first time out at the league she wasn’t in the running for silverware, but Letterkenny are confident they have a valuable weapon in the arsenal now that Anna and ‘Luigi’ are on board. The overall league win went to Donegal Gaeltacht’s Liz Potter, with Inishowen filling both second and third with Nicola Coxford and Veronica Lafferty.

In the RC90 the pace hotted up considerably. Tirconaill’s Leigha Greene showed herself to be a formidable force to be reckoned with when she pocketed the valuable double points available at the final to take both the class and the league title. Donegal Gaeltacht rider Jennifer Bonner had to settle for second place ahead of Inishowen’s Dawn McAllister. As usual the RC90 was the class with the biggest entry and it’s safe to say the prize winners had to work hard for their loot.

The RC100, which last year had a very small entry in general, was well supported. The return to action of a couple of good riding club mares following a year of maternity leave makes this class a very competitive one going forward. Emily Schneider and Mark Ward were tying for top position coming into Sunday’s final, but there could be only one winner on the day and Emily stood tallest on the podium at the end of the day. Stephen Greene took the third step for Tirconaill, with Cliff Haley acting as sweeper in fourth position.

Across the fence in the dressage arena the standard of test being ridden had taken a leap forward from the previous leg. Riders had been busily schooling at home and the reward for their efforts was definitely reflected in the judge’s scores. In the Intro class, aimed at riders or horses who are new to the discipline, Inishowen’s Grace Rodgers claimed the win ahead of new Donegal Gaeltacht member Kathleen O’Boyle and Stracomer’s Clodagh Brady. Grace cemented her strength in the dressage arena by going on to win the RCP1 class, where she relegated her new club-mate Michaela Harrigan to second spot. The RCP2 class saw Nicola Coxford return to winning ways on the lovely Danny’s Dream, with Donegal Gaeltacht riders Amy McGarvey and Liz Potter taking second and third. The RCP3 was an Inishowen rout, with all three tiers on the podium claimed by that club’s riders. The Inishowen domination of the dressage field was capped by Claire Kirkwood’s win in the RCN class, where her foot perfect performance on Dominoe’s Way relegated Letterkenny’s Francis McNicholl and Rachel Carton to second and third spots respectively.

The league was a great success and saw a number of new members dip their hooves into the riding club scene. The changing venues kept the riders on their toes as they introduced horses to different sights and sounds at each venue, as well as encouraging less experienced competitors to stretch their wings and travel further afield. As Anna Cathcart commented “This is great. Having the training classes takes all the pressure off you. It’s just so affordable too.” Tirconaill’s Brenda Burke, who has acted as prize buyer for the area for a number of years, had done Trojan work in securing extremely generous sponsorship from equestrian retail giant TRI, who have solidly backed the north west’s leagues for a couple of years now. Prize winners went home with generous TRI vouchers in their pockets and can look forward to some well-earned retail therapy in the coming weeks. With the spring league behind them the area’s members can now turn to some cross-country schooling as they look forward to the AIRC national hunter trial championship in April. All roads lead to Galway…