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…

Are you interested in being on a team for the Audrey Jacob Team Challenge?

The Audrey Jacob team Challenge is one of the biggest events on our riding club calendar and this year, to do justice to Audrey’s memory, we need to win some silverware for the club! We need as many members as possible to participate on teams so please let our dressage and show jumping selectors know now, if you’re planning on riding.

Please phone or text Vera on 087 232 5632, if you’re going to do the dressage. Make sure you give her your current dressage grade!

And please phone or text Francis on 086 372 2542, if you’re game for the show jumping challenge. Likewise, please confirm your current show jumping grade.

Dressage tests for Audrey Jacob Team Challenge, Sunday 26 April

Interest in the rapidly approaching Team Challenge is keen and several enquiries about the dressage tests to be ridden have already been fielded. We’re going to use the festival tests, i.e. those that are being ridden at the Riding Clubs Festival in Stradbally in June. You can find them on the AIRC website and we’ll publish them here shortly, together with full details of the team challenge.

Great Easter ride-out with Dawn in Drumkeen

It’s always good to explore new territory and Dawn’s active participation in the club has brought us new scope for adventure in the Drumkeen area. Our Good Friday group of riders — Keary, Anne, Leo, Shauna and Dawn herself — met at Dawn’s homeplace and rode out for an hour through forestry roads and back down to the nearby quarry.

Gary treated everybody to fish and chips afterwards from the local fish van, setting the hospitality bar high for the coming ride-out season! Thanks to Dawn and Gary for a really enjoyable expedition.

World’s shortest report on the Northwest League Final

Well done everybody on a memorable final leg of the NW Spring League. Particular congratulations to Enda on bagging the Advanced Primary title on the last day. Heartfelt commiserations to Cliff who struggled in his sickbed as his potential title floated across the club border to Inishowen. Equally heartfelt sympathy to Damien who stumbled at the last hurdle after a cracking campaign on Armstrong only to lose his grip on the red rosette in the dying moments of the league. At the end of the day we could hardly have anticipated such a democratic result with each club winning a class.

NWL Spring 2015 | Show 5 Results
NWL Spring 2015 | Final Points Table
NWL Spring 2015 | Final League Placings

Thanks to everybody who contributed in any way to making the Northwest Spring League once again a memorable inter-club highlight.