Blazing a trail at Dressage Ireland

We have a number of talented young riders at Dunbyrne Equestrian and recently two of our coaches Ross O'Hare BHSI and Lorna Keogh (BHS/HSI) formed what we now call the Dunbyrne Tailblazers. The tailblazers team allows these riders access to quality competition coaching to encourage them to improve their riding and to compete with a positive mindset.

The first tailblazers sessions focused on dressage with riders learning the dressage arena and letters and how to ride the movements within a test. After three weeks of training the team travelled to JAG in November with the Dunbyrne lorry to compete at Dressage Ireland in the trailblazers competitions for young riders. This day out, the first ever dressage competition for the team was a great success with everyone scoring above 60% and lots of positive and developmental feedback from the judges to work on. Zara Logan, Sive Murphy and Hannah Groves competed in the mini trailblazers while Niamh Davitt, Laura Kavanagh, Blaithnaid Sharpe and Molly Dunne all competed in the junior trailblazers. 

Aoife Harrington, a young rider who has been competing for over a year at Dressage Ireland Trailblazers acted as a guide for the tailblazers team members, riding test demonstrations to help them to learn their tests while her sister Orla a successful competitor at Dressage Ireland and riding club was at JAG on the day to help the riders on their first day out. Aoife travelled to Marlton last weekend to compete at Trailblazers. She scored an impressive 73% in her prelim test to take second place. Aoife also rode her first ever novice test on the day earning third place and a good score with plenty to work on for 2018 to progress at this level. 

As the tailblazers team has evolved at Dunbyrne Equestrian we have started to include showjumping coaching into the schedule. Our team have been learning how to ride lines, jump combinations and count strides. We have a showjumping session planned for Saturday as well as a talk for the team on competing with a healthy, positive and balanced approach to competition.  Our riders will compete on Sunday at dressage and showjumping at our Christmas Show - we cant wait to see them in action 

Dunbyrne Riding Club Win West Leinster Dressage Qualifier

Last weekend saw a fantastic result for our riding club based at Dunbyrne Stud. Kilmeague, Co. Kildare. Dunbyrne Riding Club had a team of four riders competing at the qualifier held locally on Sunday 28th May. 

Dunbyrne liveries Mum and daughter combination Clare and Orla Harrington formed half of the team with their horses Hunting Princess (aka Sapphire) and DBS Goldfever (aka Sonny). They were joined by fellow livery Suzanne Walsh and her horse Revery and fellow Dunbyrne Riding Club member Niamh O'Huid and her bay gelding Ser Kai.

All four riders are train under Dunbyrne Stud's resident BHSI Ross O'Hare. The training, dedication and hard work put in by these riders throughout the Winter and Spring paid off as they excelled at the qualifier to take first place. Youngest team member Orla Harrington put in a stellar performance to win the open qualifier with a personal best score of 81.33%. Orla achieved her first '10' for dressage movements in this test earning this highest score for one of her movements and for her riding.

Finishing with a team score of 221.49 the team have qualified for the AIRC (Association of Irish Riding Clubs) Connollys Redmills National Dressage Championships in August at Mullingar. We are extremely proud of our members and look forward to supporting our club and team as they work towards the Championships. 

Success for Dunbyrne members, clients and liveries at our Kavanaghs of Newbridge League Final

On Sunday the 21st May our riding club held the final leg of the West Leinster region of riding clubs Kavanaghs of Newbridge dressage league. We held the final here at Dunbyrne Stud in Kilmeague co. Kildare in our outdoor arena with the hill of Allen making a lovely backdrop. 

Our judges on the day were Patricia Creighton and Gisela Holstein. We had members from various clubs in the West Leinster region competing to earn the last league points towards the overall league results. 

Our club members fared well on the day and we were delighted to see our liveries, clients and pupils taking home well deserved rosettes. Suzanne Walsh took second place in the primary class with her chestnut gelding Revery. In the advanced primary class a trio of Dunbyrne livery clients took 3rd and joint fourth place. Rachel O'Sullivan achieved a great score of 70.63% on grey mare Firones Spear (aka Belle) to take third place. Jenny Brennan Hannigan and Papa Smurf (aka Harry Potter) and Clare Harrington and Hunting Princess (aka Sapphire) both earned 66.88% to share fourth place. Ellen Merrins competed in the intermediate class with her bay gelding Sillan Ludene, known to his livery buddies as Pepper. Ellen was delighted to take third place on her second dressage outing with her new horse. Orla Harrington and DBS Goldfever (aka Sonny) were third in the open class. Pupils of Ross O'Hare BHSI from outside of the yard also performed well on the day with Olwyn Alexander and Santero from Greenhills RC placing second in the intermediate class over 71% and Dermot O'Connor and Horse SIlver Lining II from Annaharvey taking third in the sportsmans.

As always our bakers were out in force for our show and our coffee shop raised €190 for the Irish Horse Welfare Trust. Thank you to our bakers and buyers! 

Red for Suzanne & Revery

A number of our clients travelled to Coilog this Sunday 30th April to compete in riding club in the latest leg of the Kavanaghs of Newbridge dressage league and the Linda Moore showjumping league. Jenny Brennan Hannigan and Rachel O'Sullivan competed in the advanced primary dressage with Papa Smurf (Harry Potter) and Firones Spear (Belle). Ellen Merrins had a great first day out showjumping and dressage with her bay gelding Pepper. Suzanne Walsh earned herself another league win taking first place in the primary dressage class. Suzanne was competing on board her chestnut gelding Revery. 

Dunbyrne Riding Club will host a leg of the Kavanaghs of Newbridge dressage league here at Dunbyrne Equestrian in Kilmeague on Sunday the 21st May. If you are interested in practicing your test in advance and receiving feedback and advice from our BHSI on how to achieve maximum marks on the day, we can organise a private or group session - give Ross a call at 086 2222440