Inter-club regional training day set for Sunday 17 June

For those who attended, last year’s regional training day at Cloncaw was one of the highlights of 2011. The sense of focus and spirit of learning was palpable and everybody took home some valuable insight from the experience.

This year’s training day has been put together with great thought and effort by Mona and Roisin who have struggled with the calendar and shrinking budgets to ensure another worthwhile day. It’s happening at fairly short notice on Sunday 17 June in Falcarragh.

Show jumping and dressage take place on Ballyness Bay and cross country at Manus Kelly’s, Ballyness, Falcarragh. There’s plenty of parking at both locations and they are also within easy riding distance of each other. Lunch/BBQ will be at Manus’s.

The organisers will let members know the instructors’ names and entry fees (costs will be kept to a minimum) as soon as possible. For now they need to know which two (or one or three) disciplines members wish to train in and at what height/level. Please pre-enter as early as possible to Roisin on 087 918 0008 (text/call) and pay on the day.

Spots will be allocated on a “first come first served” basis. Places may be limited if particular disciplines fill up fast. Roisin and Mona will do their best to accommodate everyone but please pre-enter ASAP. Times will be issued on Friday 15 June.

… And remember, it will all be good practice before the Gaeltacht’s Cross Jump and Beach Show in Falcarragh and our own Derby in Ramelton. July will be hectic on the competition front!

Pictured below: Last year’s regional training day at Cloncaw. See all the photos in the Gallery.

Cross country tuition at Glenleary, Friday 8 June

After last Friday’s open playground, cross country training moves to Glenleary Stables’ facilities this coming Friday, 8 June. Mary Finneran will provide her expert tuition.

The plan is to work in two groups, the first for more novice riders (or horses) who want to work on building up confidence in cross country jumping. For the more ambitious there’ll be the opportunity to work on cross country skills, particularly accuracy in jumping and tackling skinny fences.

If you plan to participate, please contact Orla on 087 643 2458.

Cracking cross country evening attracts a huge attendance

A run around some of the county’s finest fields is a treat at any time. When the weather plays along like it did last Friday evening, it’s difficult to imagine that life could get all that much better. With the Foyle as a backdrop and the old railway tracks as a feature, there was no shortage of visual stimulation for the human and equine participants.

After a mounted group course walk, a small group of five riders worked for a little while in the sand arena with Kelda before moving out into open territory once confidence was established. The main body of riders rode the course individually, each timed to help monitor the correct pace for cross country competitions. Afterwards, those who wished rode the course again in pairs.

A huge turnout rewarded the time and effort put in by Marina and Enda, with plenty of help from Leo. The mounted exertions were followed by a get together around the Hamilton’s creaking table, laden with goodies produced by the extended family. A very big thanks to the hosts for a memorable evening and wonderful hospitality.

Pictured below: Paddy and Sharon looking picturesque on the cross country course. More photos in the Gallery.

Active Donegal training show, Lenamore, Sunday 10 June

Cormac is behind a training show planned for Lenamore next weekend, Sunday 10th June from 1pm:

Classes: Lead rein and lead rein jumping classes.
Jumping classes at 50cm, 70cm, 90cm, 1.00m & 1.10m.

All classes open to ponies and horses as there will be no doubles or trebles included in the course.

As part of Active Donegal month there will be a “just try it” session where , friends, husbands, wives, girlfriends, boyfriends etc can experience the thrill of sitting on a horse and maybe end up pursuing a new hobby through one of our clubs.

For riding club members who are not travelling to the Festival it will be an ideal opportunity to get a show in to practice your skills and hopefully weather permitting the show will be held on grass which is a novelty these days. Special entry fee for riding club members in that one fee will cover all classes as at NW league.

Cross country skills at Marina & Enda’s, Friday 1 June *updated

This Friday sees a return to open country with a cross country and/or trec training evening at Marina and Enda’s home in St Johnston. With Orla tied up at work, Marina has kindly volunteered to organise the evening’s activity.

The plan is a route through fields with cross country jumps (including some new jumps added since the riding club last visited Marina & Enda). A team of cattle have been dispatched on grazing duty and have promised to have the grass at optimum length. The route will be marked with flags so riders can learn the route and practice riding at different speeds. This is a very handy skill for cross country competitions and for the PTV and POR phases of TREC.

It’s also possible to enjoy the evening on horseback without doing any jumping. How often do most of get to ride around beautiful big fields? Even walking and trotting the course will be a pleasure.

Orla needs riders to confirm by Wednesday evening if they are attending so that she and Marina can look at speeds to match their grades and (more importantly) know how many to cater for. Contact her on 087 643 2458 to let her know if you’re planning to ride.

N.B. Kelda will be on hand from 7–8.30pm to provide help and instruction for anybody who would like to avail of it. You may also batter away on your own, if that’s what you prefer. The cost for the evening will be €10 per head.

Putting your cross country skills into practice: Cloncaw 2-phase league kicks off this Sunday

Geraldine Bellew’s very popular 2-phase league at Cloncaw Equestrian Centre in Glaslough kicks off its 2012 season this Sunday, 3 June. It’s a non-riding club event so will be of particular interest to members with children who ride. The course at Cloncaw (scene of our regional training day last June) is always a fair challenge and a great schooling ground. And show jumping on grass is a novelty these days.

For full information visit the Cloncaw website.

The secret lives of others: Monday Club

How often do any of us witness what goes on amongst our novice brigade on a Monday evening? Week in, week out, Rachel teaches two stalwart members who turn out at Cyril’s arena come hail, rain or shine. Occasionally they’re joined by others who want to brush up on some fundamentals or get a start in riding club but in general Maura and Cyril work away by themselves.

This evening’s pictures show us just what we’re missing. If you’d like to join the lesson, contact Rachel on 086 161 7087 by lunchtime on Monday.

Pictured below: Embarking on a cross country career.

Club shines at monumental Relay For Life

Not many people knew what to expect of Relay For Life. How lucky we are that Cormac took the initiative and made a quick decision early in the year to enter a club team in this monumental event.

If anybody needed proof that there is some form of God up there in the sky, surely the weather over the 24-hour period of the event settles the argument? Temperatures were almost too high during the daytime hours but they were absolutely perfect for our night-shift walkers.

Nadine, Damien and Emily were joined by Tanya, John, Sharon, Pippa and Charlotte for the opening ceremony. With the club sign attached jauntily to the front of one of the buggies, responsible chairman Damien worried that the happy family group might cause some eyebrows to be raised about the precise nature of the club’s activities. But this was a dignified event…

The club’s Gazebo No.28 was a social hub for the 24 hours and was manned for all but two hours of the marathon. From 4am until 6am on Sunday it stood empty as Rachel and Christopher walked together for a solid 120 minutes, never stopping to take a breather. Jenny pulled off a similar feat when she arrived in the morning to cover the same shift as Paddy.

However individuals chose to manage their time, there was always a brightly clad, unmissable yellow-and-black walker on the track. So positive was the experience of participation that many members returned later in the Relay just to be part of the event for a while longer. The only minor mishap of the affair was recorded when somebody scribbled their name in Cormac’s precious show jumping book. The name was Daniel so at least Cormac knows where the search begins.

We still don’t know exactly how much money our team raised but the overall count by the end of the 24-hour relay was €282,000. When the remaining funds trickle in (and Cormac would very much like to get our team’s financial loose ends wrapped up this week please), the total may exceed €300K. What an achievement for Donegal.

A big hand for everybody who participated but a particularly big clap on the back for Cormac who invested so much effort in getting the team together and raising the funds.

Pictured below: Club shirts glowing in the Saturday evening sun. More pictures in the Gallery.

Congratulations Gaeltachts – what an achievement

With the Relay For Life attracting our attention and some of our usual suspects keeping a low profile in 2012, our club sat out the western region’s  Team Show Jumping Qualifier which took place on Sunday in Knock. But Donegal was ably represented by a team from the Donegal Gaeltachts.

Following a brilliant effort by Mickey McHugh, John McDaid, Laura Schneider and Patricia Warren, the quartet were one of just two teams to make it to the jump off. And who would you rather have as your jump-off rider than Patricia? With her hallmark panache she delivered the winning round to carry the team and the club and all of Donegal to the final at the RDS in August. In her own words, “there was nobody as shocked as us!”.

Congratulations neighbours and the very, very best of luck between now and the big day.