There were plenty of cameras at the derby show so there’ll be no shortage of photographs in due course. Libby and Rachel’s father, Garrett, was perfectly positioned for Charlie’s spectacular demolition of fence No.7, a very imposing triple bar. We’re happy to report that horse and rider are none the worse for the wear. The jump escaped with just one amputated limb.
There’s neither time nor energy for writing reports or uploading galleries of photos for a few days yet so a few pictures will have to do the talking for the time being. Despite the uncooperative weather, it was a brilliant day and a great club experience. A huge thanks to everybody who attended (in particular the great Dalysgrove contingent) and to everybody who helped out in any way. Many congratulations to everybody who took part, especially the cup winners. We kept two in the club, three in Donegal, and one escaped to keep us honest.
2011 Derby & Dressage Show | Results Derby
Pictured below: A very brief summary of a very great day. More in the Gallery.
The show field is appoximately two miles east of Ramelton and fairly straightforward to find:
The big weekend has arrived. The boundaries of the show field are carefully sheltering clusters of jumps and fillers delivered from a variety of sources, and the bull and his harem in the adjoining field are looking on with increasing interest as activity heightens.
Now is the time to remind yourself of the meaning of “club spirit”. Please dig deep into your reserves of it to help pull this event off with aplomb. Everybody who’s contributing obstacles or other ingredients for the show ground needs to have them on site by 6.30pm today, Friday. Coursebuilding begins at 7pm. Many hands make light work.
Please ring Orla and offer your services for Sunday. Don’t wait for her to contact you. She can only organise so much and we pride ourselves in being a club for copped-on adults with a bit of initiative. Bring your brain or your brawn or preferably both.
Our visitors from Dalysgrove Riding Club in Galway will be arriving on Saturday and will enjoy a ride on the beach in Rathmullan on Saturday evening. If you’re a confident rider and would like to join the party, contact Libby on 086 830 1392. Afterwards there’ll be a gathering in Conways pub in Ramelton.
The competition begins at 11am on Sunday but numerous volunteers will be needed much earlier on the field to organise parking, entries, PA, the judges, and any number of last minute details which will inevitably arise.
The weather looks like playing along and we should all enjoy a wonderful day of competition and camaraderie.
Mary Finneran and the Glenleary team have rescheduled their summer show for Monday 1 August. So, with Tirconaill Riding Club’s event in Bruckless on Sunday 31 July, you can get double value from your plaiting, tack cleaning and schooling.
All of the shows that our club is running this year are legs in various Western Region leagues. Our derby show this weekend and our hunter trials in September are legs of the annual Cross Country & Derby League. Our Spring Show was part of the Spring Show Jumping League and the annual Dressage League. Our Autumn Show will be part of the Autumn Show Jumping League. Some or all of the shows in the North West League are legs of the Spring Show Jumping League.
Given the level of our club’s participation at these events, a good number of our members will have racked up the requisite five attendances which make you eligible to compete for the prizes at the Final of the Western Region Spring Show Jumping League on Sunday 24 July at Tubberbride Equestrian Centre in Sligo. Even if you haven’t qualified, you’re welcome to participate but won’t be eligible for prizes.
The same show hosts the team qualifier for the AIRC National Dressage Championships. While it would be lovely to field a team for the qualifier, most people would find it difficult to imagine travelling to Fethard in Tipperary for the Championships in August.
These days none of us take fair weather for granted so the current forecast of comparatively benign weather will be viewed with a certain level of skepticism. The past three or four days of dry weather will have dried out the freshly cut show field at a rapid pace. Last night’s rain was the perfect tonic for the ground and forecasted showers over the next several days should be nicely absorbed by the ground before Sunday.
Sunday isn’t likely to be sunny but it is likely to be mainly dry and cloudy with just a few showers. The preparation evenings on Wednesday and Thursday will be less pleasant but we may have sunshine on Friday when we’re actually building the course and laying out the arenas.
Keep praying…
This Friday everybody has the opportunity for some jumping practice at one of our clear round evenings at Cyril’s in Milford. Things will kick off punctually at 7pm with crosspoles and work their way up through the heights. Contact Cyril on 087 418 8123 to let him know if you plan to attend.
Pictured below: Clear round jumping evenings at Cyril’s in April and July 2010.
The timing of the AIRC National Show Jumping Championships in Mullingar has always proved awkward for our club members, with several different events taking place more locally on the same date. Perhaps the lure of further derby jumping will persuade a few of you to make the journey this year. The championships take place on Sunday 17 July. You may enter by post through Orla by this Friday, 1 July, or online by Friday 8 July.
See full schedule and entry details on the AIRC website.
The huge majority of our club members have no experience of derby show jumping. Derbies aren’t common events in any area but they’re particularly rare in Donegal where all equestrian activities are thinner on the ground than elsewhere. But most of us do know the Hickstead Derby and have ridden the mighty track vicariously on many occasions. This year’s Hickstead Derby was won on Sunday by Britain’s Tina Fletcher. She rode the only clear round of the entire competition. So, don’t be downhearted if you rack up a few faults in our own derby on 10 July — it’s par for the course even amongst the high flyers of the show jumping world.
For a report on the Irish performance in this year’s Hickstead Derby, see the Horse Sport Ireland website. The greatest Derby partnership of all time was an Irish one — the legendary Eddie Macken and Boomerang. A search of the YouTube world draws a surprising blank on the duo but you can see the course being ridden by one of their great rivals, John Whitaker and Ryan’s Son.
P.S. Word has it that Geraldine has built an impressive new derby bank at Lenamore. It will make an exciting feature for our hunter trials on Sunday 4 September.
Letterkenny Riding Club