Plenty to look forward to as clubs collaborate further

Tuesday evening’s assembly of members from the three Donegal clubs was a constructive and forward-looking event which proved that the appetite is there to run more collaborative events during the year.

Building on the success and popularity of our North West League, the plan is to run a mini-league in the same format during the autumn. The league will have three legs and each club will take overall responsibility for on-the-ground operations at one show. The venue will be Templemore, subject to availability of suitable dates.

This three-show mini-league (which eliminates the need for our annual Autumn Show) will be followed by a one day show featuring the North West Team Show Jumping Cup, our Aga Khan style inter-club challenge. There’ll be some amendments to the rules on team composition this year which will see the inclusion of a non-jumping team member. The precise details of the non-jumping riders’ challenge is yet to be decided but could be anything from an obstacle course to an egg-and-spoon race!

The culmination of all these competition days will be a dinner dance and awards evening to be held somewhere in the Letterkenny area in late November. It should prove a great pre-Christmas social highlight for all our club members and our many friends and supporters from other corners of the equestrian world.

More details as they come on line.

Inter-club meeting, Tuesday 31 July, Tir na nOg

Remember, if you’re interested in the idea of promoting more inter-club activity amongst the three Donegal clubs (and the good news is that we may have a fourth in the next little while), come along to tonight’s inter-club meeting at 8pm in Tir na nOg.

As most of you are aware, we’re currently affiliated with the AIRC West region – a geographical area that stretches from the tip of Donegal to the bottom of Clare. Not surprisingly, it’s difficult to get to a lot of regional events when they take place three-quarters of a country away!

Tonight the three clubs will discuss possibilities for additional collaborative events such as an autumn show jumping league and a Donegal annual dinner dance and awards. We’ll also talk about the composition of the AIRC’s regions and the potential for improving things in the future. Everybody welcome.

Club spirit

Enda and Teldel had an eventful show jumping round at Sunday’s Beach Show. The normally inseparable pupil-and-schoolmaster team parted company at the second part of the double and Enda lay prostrate on the sand. Marina and Cormac came quickly to the rescue…

Enda: Creak, groan, creak, groan.
Marina: What were you at? You should have ridden him harder into the fence!
Enda: Creak, groan, creak, groan.
Cormac: Enda, can you move at all?
Enda: Creak, groan, creak, groan. Yes, it’s painful though.
Cormac: Well turn over then so that I can see what kind of a state you’ve got my jacket into…

Pictured below: Back on his feet in spite of the abuse. Good man Enda!

The Beach Show stays (almost) dry as God spares the Gaeltacht

This weekend saw the second attempt at the 2012 Beach Show and, just like our Stranorlar ride-out, the Gaeltacht’s luck held when it really mattered. A lot of determined riders made their way to Ballyness Bay despite a less than convincing forecast and were rewarded for their faith by a great show in comparatively perfect conditions.

With the PA system only reaching a small portion of the sandy show ground, many of the results were lost to the wind as they were announced from HQ at the main jumping arena. They’ll filter through on the official Donegal Gaeltacht wavelength sooner rather than later.

Between the grapevine, a few eye-witness reports and the shreds of official announcements that filtered through the breeze we know that our wonderful pair of greys, Lizzie under Paddy and Cormac on Charlotte, crowned a great day with a cracking win in the Intermediate & Above Speed Pairs. Cormac was still dealing with the adrenalin rush as he packed up for home and Paddy was observed driving dreamily through the hills on the way back to Letterkenny, reliving every twist and turn of his victorious round. Well done all four of you.

Letterkenny filled the top three spots in the Advanced Intermediate show jumping class with Nadine producing the only clear round of the competition. Damien took second place with Cormac in third. Marina bypassed the competition as Jenny stumbled in her warm-up and favoured a foreleg. In the dressage area, Maura suffered similar poor luck with Hannah just as she completed her warm-up. Hopefully both mares will make a quick recovery.

One of the club’s former walking wounded, Fenway, enjoyed his day in the limelight when he won both the Intermediate dressage and the Medium & Heavyweight Hunter Class. There was no sign of any of his ligament or navicular problems as he then stretched out in gallop before the judges to pip Cathriona Goaley’s lovely Connemara, Curra Whoopi, for the overall Showing Championship.

The rest of the results will surface shortly. If there are any photographs, send them through. For now enjoy the small collection in the Gallery.

Pictured below: Maura on Hannah, cheerful despite the disappointment of missing her test. Get well soon, Hannah. And our trio of Advanced Intermediate campaigners, Cormac, Damien and Nadine on Charlotte, Millie and Molly.

Ride-out at Stranorlar a great success as downpour holds off until the homestretch

Friday evening’s ride-out at Stranorlar lasted about two and a half hours, the route leading up by Steeple and around by Steeple Hill. Things got off to a shaky start with forgotten girths and missing shoes but the group of  seven (Leo, Denis, Paddy, Maura, Francis, Keary and Anne) eventually got things underway. They enjoyed lovely weather until the heavens opened on the road home and everybody got drenched. The beer at the end made up for it and the expedition was given a unanimous thumbs up.

Many thanks to Anne for organising the ride and for opening the club’s eyes to yet another part of the beautiful county we live in.

Second attempt at Stranorlar ride-out, this Friday 27 July

The rescheduled ride-out near Stranorlar takes place this coming Friday evening. Fingers crossed for slightly better luck with the weather this time! The route covers new territory in the Steeples area. Meet at the picnic area at Cooladawson at 7pm.

Contact Anne on 087 610 6796 to let her know if you plan to ride. She’ll provide further information on the route and can give you detailed directions for finding the starting point.