Looking forward to Millers Hill

One of the highlights of the club year, our annual weekend at Millers Hill, takes place on Saturday 10 & Sunday 11 September. Libby is currently working out the details of the visit with Roberta and Robert and should have an idea of costs shortly. With luck it will remain at the same level as the previous two years, coming in at around €100 per person, depending on the exact combination of livery/cob hire/non-riding that you opt for.

For those of you who haven’t been along before, Millers Hill is an equestrian centre in Markethill, near Armagh. The McCrum family who run it are wonderful hosts and die-hard carriage driving enthusiasts. You’ll have a chance to try your hand at driving their schoolmaster as well as enjoying the freedom of the cross country course on either your own horse or a hired cob. You can opt to hack on the flat or school over the obstacles. There’s also a polo-crosse pitch and plenty of equipment so that anybody who wants can give it a go.

Best of all, there’s a wonderful club house where we get well fed and well watered before showing off the club’s pool playing and instrument playing prowess into the small hours. The whole emphasis of the expedition is on social life — the horses play a pretty peripheral role and you can join in the weekend on just two legs, if that’s what you prefer.

Full details shortly. If you want to know more in the meantime, contact Libby on 086 830 1392. Once the costs have been established, you’ll be asked to reserve your spot as soon as possible.

Pictured below: Some memories from Millers Hill in 2009. See more from the slightly wetter edition in 2010.

Team show jumping championships the big feature this weekend

It’s Friday, it’s Aga Khan Cup day. At the RDS today, eight teams line out in one of the world’s finest grass show jumping arenas to challenge for one of the sport’s most prestigious Nations Cup competitions. Ireland jump in seventh position. Read more about our team on the Horse Sport Ireland website.

On Sunday the focus switches to the amateur side of the sport with the final of the AIRC’s Horseware Team Show Jumping Championships in the Simmonscourt arena. Our club may not have made it to the final but we have plenty of happy memories of the qualifier in Claremorris. Tynagh Riding Club from Galway were the victors on that day in early May and they represent our Western region in Sunday’s big event. If you’re at the Horse Show on Sunday, cheer them on and imagine that we could be in their boots in 12 months’ time.

This year the championship will be the subject of a Horse & Country television broadcast. Find out more about this on the AIRC website.

Horse Show orphans’ ride-out

This week sees the annual exodus of man and beast to the RDS for the Dublin Horse Show. There are always a few who tough it out on home turf and Libby has led a Friday ride-out for others of her ilk for the past few years. This year she’s unable to do it but anybody else who has a nice route in mind can seize the opportunity.

If you want to do the honours, contact Orla and she’ll sent out the rallying call. Otherwise everybody can enjoy a restful Friday evening without riding club activity. No harm in that either — we all need a break now and again.

Time for other talents at Glenleary Show

There were plenty of riding club members at the rescheduled Glenleary Show on August Bank Holiday Monday but most appeared in different guises to those we know. At a show where the younger generation took centre stage, the adult troop fulfilled roles where horses were surplus to requirements.

In the judges box, Cormac officiated with a practiced ease. Close by, Sally observed the afternoon action through the lens of her professional camera. Liz circled the show grounds with a concentrated look, playing her civilian mother’s role as if born to it while her three daughters, Niamh, Claire and Joanne covered themselves in glory. Libby surfaced briefly with a smug Rusty, a happy dog delighted with his horse-free owner. Orla Harrison and Christopher belonged to a rare species on the day—riding club members in mounted action—while Annette attended on foot with a camera slung promisingly around her neck.

And no matter in what direction one looked, either Mary Finneran or Orla was always in view, surrounded by happy children, flanked by happy parents, with patient and forbearing ponies and horses observing the action with faces of wisdom and fortitude.

Well done Glenleary.

Pictured below: Cormac, Sally, Mary and Orla fulfill their roles at Glenleary Summer Show where the children took centre stage.

Tough but rewarding tutelage in Trentagh

Two rides on Friday evening were cleverly collapsed into one as half the booked horses and riders fell by the wayside with cast shoes and sundry other complaints. But, as always, the five candidates who turned out for Jackie’s flatwork lesson at Harley’s finished the session with broad smiles on their faces and the unbeatable knowledge that they were the lucky ones.

On an uncharacteristically beautiful sunny evening, Tanya, Joanne, Vera, Laura and Karen worked diligently under Jackie’s eye and had their mounts going beautifully by the time they executed their final formal halt. Joanne rode nicely on her own lovely big bay horse, quite a step up in size from Dancer! Meanwhile, Laura has descended (in elevation only) to her young mare, the 15hh Miss Jessie, while her sister Karen has taken over on the much-admired cob, Cappry Jack.

Tanya on the original Jack and Vera on Tia were the remaining two familiar partnerships in the arena and they both enjoyed the lesson as much as ever. Jackie was in the best of form and relaxed after the lesson with Pippa. John and Sharon weren’t prepared to part with her and Jackie admitted that they’re better when you can give them back.

It was a lovely evening and much thanks is due to Sharon for her enduring patience and good humour in coordinating this series of lessons during the summer silly season.

Pictured below: Jackie with her five diligent pupils enjoying a tough but rewarding flatwork lesson. More photos in the Gallery.

Update on our September and October shows

Our event coordinators are busily working away behind the scenes putting the plans in place for our two remaining shows in 2011.

Our hunter trial event at Lenamore on Sunday 4 September will now feature dressage as well as the central cross country event. The dressage judge has not yet been confirmed but we know that Jacqueline Maudlin will be officiating in the judge’s box for the hunter trial.

Our Autumn Show Jumping League show will be held on Saturday 22 October. As in the past, Eglinton is not available on the Sunday, the traditional day for riding club competitions. After conducting a quick straw poll, Rachel has confirmed that Eglinton on Saturday is favoured over Templemore on Sunday. This is the show which features our Northwest Team Challenge Cup as well as being a leg of the Western Region Autumn League.

Glenleary Show looking safe for Bank Holiday Monday

With the weather forecast as it is, Glenleary Show this coming Monday, 1 August, should be a dry and fine affair. The schedule remains the same as previously with a feature horses v ponies jumping derby, show jumping, dressage (judged by Petra Kucklick), handy horse, and best turned out classes. There are competitions for both children and adults since it’s not a riding club or pony club event. And all of this just around the corner from you in Ramelton.

Glenleary Summer Show | 2011 Schedule

Donegal TREC brings home the ribbons from National Championships

The four Donegal TREC riders who made the long journey to Kells in Meath for the National Championships over the weekend showed that talent and enthusiasm are a fair match for experience in this increasingly popular equestrian discipline. Our very own Orla and Christopher made up the senior citizen component of the posse and, between them all, the foursome were victorious in a litany of classes at the 2-day event.

Read the full details in Orla’s report. She makes no apologies for its unedited form — getting back on her civilian feet has been the priority since she returned from the adventure.

Very well done everybody.