Great summer schedule developed at inter-club meeting

Enda reports good progress from Monday evening’s inter-club meeting at Tir na nOg. It certainly sets up a lovely series of summer events for the calendar.

Plans have been set in motion for our first inter club cross country and dressage league. Provisional dates have been circled in the calendar and host venues identified. If all goes according to plan the first leg will be on Sunday 5 July around Liz and Ryan’s coastal course outside Carrigart. Next up will be a run to Charlie and Mona’s course outside Killybegs on Sunday 23 August and the last leg takes place at Lenamore on Sunday 13 September, organised by Letterkenny and Inishowen Riding Clubs. The complete schedules with the finer detail around dressage tests, cost and entry dates will follow later.

The four clubs have also agreed to pull resources to purchase timing equipment which should ease the pressure on those who have been called upon in the past to provide the clock and sensors.

Finally the Audrey Jacob Team Challenge was heralded as a great success by all the clubs on the night so take a bow all those who helped organise the event.

A Pictorial Update

A lot has been going on. Luckily a picture is better than a thousand words so you’ll enjoy a quick visual catch up on club activities in the Gallery. Many thanks to Anne for supplying great photos of our cross country schooling sessions, Flowerhill, and our magnificent victories at the recent Audrey Jacob Team Challenge.

XC Schooling Sessions
Flowerhill
Audrey Jacob Team Challenge

Pictured below: Our victorious show jumping team. Congratulations everybody. You did the club and Audrey proud.

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The road to Carrickfinn

Any sane person looking out at today’s weather wouldn’t even countenance the thought of camping at Carrickfinn in 10 days’ time. Luckily we live on the Atlantic seaboard so it’s likely to be sunny and springlike again in the morning.

Our annual pilgrimage to the Rosses takes place earlier than usual this year to avoid a clash with the team show jumping qualifier in Sligo on Sunday 17 May. We’ll be heading down the road on Saturday 9 May, with all available fingers and toes crossed for a dry weekend.

Please let Damien know now if you’re planning on making the journey.

Magnificent Flowerhill

Perfect weather, a fantastic challenging course, beautiful riding and driving conditions and lots of success combined to make Flowerhill 2015 a vintage renewal of the best loved event on the calendar.

Congratulations to Denis and Dawn on their 3rd place in the AP Pairs, to Leo and Marina who landed the prized red rosette in the Intermediate Pairs, to Anne and Keary who took the green ribbon in the same class, and to Francis, who after a challenging round in the Pairs swooped to take second place in the ultra-competitive Intermediate Championship. Hot on his heels came new member Shauna Boyle in joint 4th place. Well done everybody who won or placed, and well done everybody who competed. You brought great credit to the club.

A gazillion thanks to Marina for yet again ensuring that we had our usual quarters on site. It just wouldn’t be the same any other way and Marina’s promptness each year in booking stables is the key to our enjoyment of the whole expedition.

A gazillion thanks too to Ann for organising such a wonderful volunteer rota that allowed the riders to concentrate entirely on enjoying the riding, and for herself (and Keary) for shouldering a substantial part of the workload.

Thanks to all the club’s foot soldiers for helping out with the volunteering, with the horses, with the camping, and with the craic. And thanks for support on the course — there may not be time for the riders to acknowledge the roars as they pass but they really do give a great lift.

Thanks to all our pals of the Donegal Gaeltachts, Tirconaills and Inishowens who themselves enjoyed a very successful event and who help us make Flowerhill our own. Just 12 months until we hit the road again…