Welcome, Dalysgrove!

Our friends from Dalysgrove Riding Club on the Galway/Roscommon border have made it safely to Donegal for another crack at our perpetual cups. They were spotted doing some last minute schooling and enjoying a relaxing stretch on the Kinnegar in Rathmullan on Saturday afternoon.

They swear they’re going to pace themselves better this year but also mentioned joining the fun at one of the two weddings taking place at their digs in the Mount Errigal. Their horses will enjoy the peace and serenity of Cyril’s yard near Milford so they at least should be fit for battle on Sunday.

We’re delighted you’re here, Dalysgrove, and we hope you have a wonderful stay.

Pictured below: Gentle exercise in Rathmullan after a long journey.

Derby course comes together on a magnificent Donegal evening

It’s very hard work building a course on a green field. The logistical task of gathering all the ingredients is the real nightmare but Damien and Francis performed miracles on Friday afternoon so that the bulk of the toolkit was on site for Friday evening’s 7pm course building operation. Manpower was in plentiful supply as most of our local members turned out to help, assisted by long-distance travellers like Leo, Marina and Enda.

Harvey was assisted by Katie, Bruiser and Rusty for the canine part of the exercise and soon things fell into place. From his perch in the bucket, Damien performed a first-class circus act, battering stakes into the ground in between balancing acrobatics as Louise manoeuvred her mechanical monster at speed around the rapidly-drying field. In the dressage area, Rachel and Audrey orchestrated the creation of a perfect (if slightly sloped) dressage arena.

By the time Patricia and Lawrence turned up to pick up official course-building duties, the field had been transformed into an unmistakable showground. 17 fences (and 23 jumping efforts) later, there was the satisfaction of standing back for a few precious seconds of dusk to admire the work and look forward with intrepidation to the big day on Sunday.

Pictured below: Hard labour on a beautiful evening.

Three-for-two deal on derby day entries

We forgot to mention it on the schedule but the deal from last year’s Derby still stands for 2012! You can enter the individual Derby, the Pairs, and the Dressage for a total €30.

The weather forecast is holding fair and it looks like we’ll get away with light rain showers at the worst. There’s no deluge in sight but keep all fingers and hooves crossed until the big event is behind us.

Forecast | AccuWeather
Forecast | British Met Office

The pros get in some practice in advance of competition weekend

The potential winners of our glittering perpetual cups might well be amongst the pros who turned out on Friday evening at Templemore to put in some serious jumping practice in advance of the Derby this coming weekend. While others enjoyed some less serious hacking on a rare beautiful evening, Francis oversaw an enjoyable session with Nadine, Leo, Geraldine, Paddy, Ruth and Rachael.

It’s all systems go now in the final countdown to Sunday’s big event. Many of you have been contacted and asked to undertake particular duties. If you haven’t been specifically pinpointed, don’t be shy about contacting John on 086 850 2284 to see how you can help out either on the day or in advance.

The course will be built on Friday evening and all hands are welcome.

Clear round jumping, Templemore, Friday 13 July

There’s little chance of getting near a blade of grass for jumping this week so Francis has organised a clear round jumping session for Templemore this Friday evening. There are plenty of ring-rusty horses and riders in the club after a prolonged spell of jump-less activity so this will provide an ideal opportunity to knock the dust off before the following weekend’s derby.

Contact Francis on 086 372 2542, if you plan to go along on the night.

Countdown to the Derby begins

Last Friday evening’s sociable meeting to plan for our derby show on Sunday 22 July was productive and enjoyable. Gathering first at Conways, John worked his way through a lengthy list of tasks and responsibilities until just about every detail of this major operation had been discussed and delegated. Jobs were delegated to members who weren’t present as well as those who were, so if you missed the meeting, you can probably expect a phone call.

The schedule will run in reverse order to normal, with the combined Open/Advanced Intermediate class getting things underway when the show starts at 1pm. They’ll be followed by the Intermediates and then the Intermediate & Above Speed Pairs class. Ground permitting, there’ll be 70cm clear round jumping over 6 or 8 of the fences in the main arena before the Primary class begins. The Advanced Primaries will take up the rear with the P&AP Pairs as the final class of the day.

Petra Kucklick is our dressage judge for the day so make the most of this opportunity to be assessed by one of the most constructively critical eyes in the flatwork world.

After hammering out the nuts and bolts of the show organisation, it was time to hop in the cars and visit the site. Wow!!! This Derby Show will be worth attending for the view alone! The field the Edwards family are providing for 2012 is a beautiful gently sloping mature pasture dotted with daisies, looking out over Aughnish island and on up the Swilly towards the distant Atlantic. There can hardly be a nicer Derby venue in Ireland this year.

LRC 2012 Derby & Dressage Show | Schedule

Pictured below: Site visit to Hillsborough Farm.

 

Friday evening Derby planning with pints

Our inaugural summer derby last year was a great success despite the worst of luck with a passing half-day’s rain. The course was long and challenging and proved a real experience for most of our club members who had never tackled such an event before.

Needless to say, the preparation of such an event on a greenfield site demands a HUGE amount of work! This year John Kelly is cracking the whip and orchestrating the entire operation. He’ll be looking for physical effort from as many members as possible. More importantly, he’ll appreciate active brain cells, resourcefulness and willingness to take responsibility.

The show is in the heartland of our membership area so, for once, there won’t be an hour-long journey for most people. Those who do live further away should contact John to see when they can best be deployed to avoid unnecessary miles on the road.

It all kicks off with a site visit this Friday evening followed by a meeting in Conway’s Pub in Ramelton. If you’re prepared to put your shoulder to the wheel, come along and find out how your energy can best be harnessed.

Pictured below: Setting up the field for our 2011 Derby. What a pleasure to be out in the local green fields of Hillsborough Farm.