It may be warm and breezy on Saturday but the volume of rain that hit the Glenleary show ground in the past few days has put paid to any chance of running the event on Sunday. Luckily it’s just postponed, not cancelled. We’ll keep you posted.
Summer show calendar continues despite the weather
Midsummer’s day is behind us already but the weather would have us believe that we have yet to cross the threshold from March to April. As entrants prepare for the showing classes at Saturday’s Finn Valley Show they’ll be puzzling over their exhibits’ summer coats. Plenty of horses are already battening down the hatches and furiously producing their winter coats. And who could blame them. It’s hard to muster enthusiasm for shampooing and plaiting and polishing when the goose pimples are permanently sculpted to the skin.
The weather looks as if it might just about oblige for Finn Valley on Saturday and, with luck, it will hold out reasonably well for Glenleary on Sunday. The very best of luck to everybody who’s going out to compete. With showing, dressage, jumping and handy horse classes, there’s something of interest for every level of rider and horse.
All systems go for our Derby & Dressage Show, Sunday 10 July
Last night’s site visit and planning meeting for our Derby & Dressage Show on Sunday 10 July was a productive time and it’s now all systems go for what is set to become our club’s flagship competitive event.
The show field at Hillsborough Farm, just a couple of miles from Ramelton, is safe, extensive and gently rolling. There’s enough flat ground to accommodate the dressage arena and plenty of undulation to provide Seamus the terrain he wants for his derby course. Add to that the clear round jumping ring and you begin to get a picture of the scope of the event and of the space.
To celebrate our first opportunity to host an event on the club’s home turf, we’ll be presenting perpetual silver cups of real quality for the four individual derby classes. The Advanced Intermediate and above grades are being combined into one class to create a really competitive event. In this class, the higher graded riders will jump first and the fences will then be lowered to Advanced Intermediate level.
It should be a great day and it will require an equally great effort on the part of every single club member. With a bit of coordination, duties will be divided so that members who are not competing will do the bulk of the work at the event while those who are competing will pull their weight in the days coming up to the show. This will allow those who are competing to concentrate on riding rather than running things. We want to keep those cups in the club!
Just over two weeks to go. Get your horses fit, roll up your sleeves, and contact Orla before she contacts you, if you want to have some say about what jobs you’ll be doing!
Change of plans for Friday evening: Ride-out in Rathmullan
Things are up in the air at the Carroll household at present so Mick and Suzanne are unable to have us this Friday for cross country training, as planned. We’ll go for a ride-out in the Rathmullan area instead.
The ride will depart from the parking area at the northern end of the Kinnegar, about a mile north of Rathmullan. The route will cover small back roads and lane ways. The length of the route will depend on what people want to do and can be ridden in two separate groups (longer/shorter, faster/slower), if that suits the mix of riders best. The tide will be out so that anybody who wishes can have a canter on the beach before finishing up.
Please let Libby know on 086 830 1392 if you plan to ride.
Any sea horses for SeaFest?
Unless you have plans to travel to the Equifestival in Cavan, the first weekend in July looks remarkably free of competitive equestrian activity. For anybody who feels like trying something completely different, Rathmullan’s new celebration of the coastal environment, SeaFest, should provide plenty of options.
Careful scrutiny of the dinghy regatta rules reveal that a race will be run for a specific class of boat provided six of them turn up. If seahorses qualify as a class, maybe we could muster the numbers for a riding club race?
Failing that, we could consider a club entry in the Power Boat Treasure Hunt on Sunday. We have the treasure hunting expertise, there may be a power boat lurking somewhere, and surely one or two of us must have some nautical knowledge?
If all else fails, there’s the tug-of-war for teams of 5. All equipment is provided and with our accumulated rein-pulling strength, maybe we’d have the muscle power to give the pros a run for their money?
There’s plenty of riding club involvement, even without team entries. Maura is a member of the Colmcille Gospel Choir that will be performing a Sunset Chorus on Friday evening, 1 July. Marina is busily completing the awards that SeaFest has commissioned from her. And Libby has created the graphics and website for the whole event with Annette providing very able assistance.
Full details on SeaFest website or in the SeaFest 2011 Programme.
Derby meeting this Wednesday, Ramelton
Our inaugural summer Derby & Dressage show takes place on Sunday 10 July at Hillsborough Farm. Orla has already had plenty of expressions of interest from those of you willing and able to lend a hand and/or brain to the extensive preparation of the event. There’ll be a meeting for everybody who’s going to be involved this Wednesday to get the ball rolling at speed.
We’ll meet at Orla’s house before heading out to the farm for a site inspection. The show field is still protected under a thick covering of grass since the silage isn’t due for cutting until closer to the event. Having seen the venue, we’ll repair to Conway’s pub to discuss the finer points of the preparation.
Further information from Orla on 087 643 2458. See you there.
Regional training day at Glaslough a resounding success
It certainly helps when the weather plays along but Sunday’s training day at Cloncaw Equestrian Centre in Glaslough would have been a success under most conditions. The venue, with its extensive and varied cross country course, beautiful covered arena and outdoor grass show jumping area, was the perfect place to enjoy tuition that was always relaxed and enjoyable while never lacking in exacting thoroughness.
Members from the three Donegal clubs and Tonabrockey from the Western region were joined by riders from Redhills and Mosstown riding clubs in the Midlands region. Donegal’s own Sally Mahon took responsibility for the cross country training along with Helen Nolan from Galway; Anthea Rainsbury from Mullingar handled the dressage sessions, and Gary Marshall from Ballymena put the show jumpers through their paces with his quiet insistence on sitting back and improving the horse’s balance through the correct position of the rider.
Everybody had different hopes and ambitions for the day. Several experienced riders used the opportunity to bring on young horses under expert guidance. Orla enjoyed Molly’s return from ligament-rehab and was thrilled with both her dressage and show jumping performance. Marina made the most of the opportunity to introduce Jenny to the world of cross country in preparation for the one-day eventing competitions that are her ultimate goal.
It was a real pleasure to be away for a club day outside a competition environment. Everybody gained a huge amount from the experience and those that attended this year will be first in the queue for booking in 12 months’ time. A very big thanks to Rachael and Ruth McCrossan who put so much effort into organising the whole day and arranging the groups so well.
Pictured below: Orla, Martina, Marina, Keary, Libby and Rachel enjoying the training day. Rachel McKimmon was also present but managed to evade the paparazzi. Plenty more photos in the Gallery and on the Gaeltacht’s site.
Glenleary Summer Show schedule promises a great day’s competition
Mary Finneran’s Glenleary Show takes place next weekend on Sunday 26 June. It provides a wonderful local opportunity to compete on grass and enjoy an event where children and adults vie with each other for glory.
There’s a full range of jumping classes from crosspoles to 1m, as well as a Horses v Ponies derby competition which should prove a great trial for our own Derby two weeks later. You can ride a dressage test between 12.30 and 2.30pm and test your turn-out talents in the best turned out classes for ponies or horses.
Glenleary Summer Show | 2011 Schedule
Pictured below: Libby on Fenway after placing 2nd in the Best Turned Out class at the 2010 Glenleary Summer Show.
Times posted for Regional Training Day
Rachael McCrossan has the groups organised for Sunday’s Regional Training Day at Cloncaw Equestrian Centre in Glaslough. Check out your spot and see further information on the Gaeltacht’s site.
Entries now open for Donegal TREC’s 2-day festival of training and competition
Hillsborough Farm will be a busy place this July. Hot on the heels of our Derby & Dressage Show on Sunday 10 July comes Donegal TREC’s first competitive event. It’s a 2-day festival with training on Saturday 16 and full blown competition on Sunday 17 July. The first 20 entries received in full will be entered into a draw to be presented at the prize giving on Sunday.
Letterkenny Riding Club 