Don’t forget: club meeting in Tir na nOg, Tuesday, 8pm. Come along and contribute your ideas for the next few months of club activity. Once our Derby & Dressage Show is behind us, the summer months will be a bit less active on the competitive front and the focus will switch to more casual and social events.
Reminder: Pre-entry for dressage at Inishowen RC show closes today, Wednesday!
Wake up everybody!! Remember that you need to pre-enter for the dressage classes at the Inishowens’ show this weekend. This evening is the deadline so contact Lauren now, if you’re planning on competing!
After a stunning ride to Grianán of Aileach, it’s time to explore the Finn Valley
Last Friday’s ride-out from Leo’s was a resounding success and glowing accounts have come in from Francis and Anne. Paddy reportedly took the initiative and decided that the party of five should tackle the target by the most direct route possible. After enjoying the view from Grianán of Aileach, Leo navigated a meandering route back to HQ where excellent food was served up by the hospitable Porter household.
This Friday Anne will take control of the compass, leading a ride-out from her home country near Stranorlar. The plan is to meet at Waterfalls at around 7pm, weather permitting. Contact Anne on 087 610 6796, if you plan to ride.
Updated schedule for our Derby & Dressage Show, Sunday 30 June
On a sunny day like this it’s possible to imagine that we might have good conditions for the rescheduled Derby & Dressage Show on Sunday 30 June!
The change in the date has necessitated a few changes to the show’s officials. Now that we’re facing into One Day Event season, we’ve changed the dressage tests to allow members get some valuable practice in on their eventing tests.
LRC Derby & Dressage Show 2013 | Updated
The tests for AP/I/AI/O are available to download here. The Primary test is available to download here.
Practice over freshly painted poles at Lenamore, Friday 14 June
The Inishowens have been hard at work preparing for their inaugural show this coming Sunday. Lenamore’s poles have been painted and are glowing brilliantly in the sun. If you’d like the opportunity to test drive your horse over them before Sunday’s big event, go along to the clear round jumping on Friday evening. The cost is €5 for two rounds.
A stalwart supporter’s report on Stradbally 2013
Audrey has penned an excellent account of her emotions and experiences as Libby and Fenway’s chef d’Equipe. In her own words……
The Morning After…….Stradbally!
Oh boy! What a fabulous weekend I had. The words ‘You just needed to be there’ spring to mind as I try to express the fabulous time that I had. I enjoyed every minute from the moment Libby and Fenway pulled in at Moorefield till we got back. Of course it was no surprise when you have such lovely travelling companions. They gave me no trouble whatsoever and would highly recommend them. I know by Lbby’s kind words before we went that my gesture to accompany them was appreciated but believe you me I was the lucky one. Can you imagine… no travelling expenses,no stress, fabulous weather and lounge about all day watching horses. What more could you ask for!!. The only shadow on the whole weekend was I missed not having Tanya and Al. As I watched the classes that might have suited them I couldn’t help but wonder where they would have been in the final line up. Of course they would have always been first in my eyes! Needless to say I got the same thrill and proud feeling with Fenway and Libby’s achievements. They were a credit to themselves and the Club. To qualify for the Working Hunter Final out of 78 entries was something to be proud of. Just a very unlucky pole down (Fenway being cautious of the ground and rightly so, as there were a few nasty falls due to the hard and very slippy going) stopped them from getting into the showing phase where I’m sure they would have definitely come away with another ribbon.
And finally……. I would like to thank 3 guys before I go. To Ed and Gary …. thanks guys for cleaning my room for the weekend. I had bought a proper camp bed thinking of my old bones, but, as soon as I had popped out my tent I realised that either my head of my feet would be very cold during the night. To Cecil for feeding and keeping an eye on the stock at home.
Back to reality now so must go. Thanks again Libby and Fenway.
Audrey
Spaces available on First Aid Course, this weekend, 14–16 June
East Donegal Pony Club has organised a first aid course for this coming weekend, Friday 14, Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 June. Some spaces are available for non-pony club people. This is a great opportunity to learn the essentials or refresh your knowledge. You’ll never regret the time you invest in the course.
If you’d like to take part, contact Marina on 086 821 6335.
A weekend to remember
Stunning weather, a beautiful location, great company, top competition and a modest degree of success combined to imprint the weekend odyssey to Stradbally on memories for a long time to come.
Fenway will probably remember it best for Libby’s rally-driving antics on the motorway near Naas. He survived a hairy episode with just a nick on his eyebrow, happy to have had the full scope of his trailer to recover his balance after the unexpected manoeuver. He’s never again going to complain about wearing his travelling boots…
With that little blip behind them, the three musketeers enjoyed a worry-free, relaxing and peaceful weekend. Audrey excelled at many things over the course of the expedition but her crowning glory was the selection of the camping spot beneath the shady boughs of a majestic beech tree. Fenway did his level best to consume the entire source of the shade but the tree got its own back on him by depositing globs of beech nut resin onto his shiny coat and right into the middle of his plaits.
By the end of Saturday all objectives were accomplished: safe arrival at the event, qualification for the Intermediate Working Hunter on Sunday, and a ribbon for the dashboard on the way home (6th in the Mediumweight Hunter).
Sunday was a day of what-ifs. What if Libby hadn’t changed her whip to the other hand in the dying stages of a beautiful Prix Caprilli test, terrorising Fenway into score-plummeting acrobatics and the frustration of a 7th place finish? What if she hadn’t hustled him at the wrong time in the Working Hunter, causing him to knock a pole and excluding him from the showing phase. And what if Fenway had behaved like the cooperative beast he usually is in the Long Arena Dressage instead of blotting his copybook with a rare display of intransigence.
Who cares about the what-ifs! It was a wonderful, wonderful weekend. Arriving back to home territory as the sun was setting on Sunday evening, it all seemed well worth the five-year wait.
Pictured below: Stradbally idyll.
Updated schedule for Inishowen RC Summer Show
Inishowen have issued a revised schedule for their Summer Show next Sunday, 16 June. The only significant change appears to be the switch from training classes to clear round jumping.
Inishowen RC Summer Show Schedule | Updated
Many of you can recall the first two events our club hosted — an inter-club dressage friendly in Omagh and our famous crossjump at Lenamore — way back in the club’s early days in 2008. Remember the immense effort it took to run those events and how anxious we were that competitors from our neighbouring clubs would turn up on the day? With that in mind, make sure you get out and support the Inishowens if you possibly can! They deserve a good start to their event-staging career.
Long journey, rickety jeep, loyal support : On the road to Stradbally
Five years ago in 2008 the club sent its very first representation to the Festival in Stradbally. It was a magical expedition and a successful one — see what we achieved in our Yearbook 2008.
Since then the numbers making the marathon journey have been small. Anne and Keary made a successful mission in 2009 and Marina and former member, Martina Boyle, had a successful trip in 2011. Now, with five years’ more experience under their belts and many blips and blemishes later, Libby and Fenway are making the pilgrimmage again this year.
Anyone who knows the instantly recognisable sound of Libby’s idiosyncratic jeep might shudder at the prospect of such a long solo journey. But with Audrey going along to support them and keep them company, horse and rider couldn’t be in better hands. Who can imagine a more loyal gesture of club spirit and friendship? Audrey’s kindness is being rewarded by a spectacular weather forecast and the prospect of an idyllic weekend on a stunning country estate. Life’s not so bad!
Letterkenny Riding Club 