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 

Successful Start to June for Dunbyrne Riders

The June bank holiday weekend saw success in the dressage and show ring for some of our riders. 

Sisters Orla and Aoife Harrington competed in Dressage Ireland at the National Sports Campus on bank holiday Monday. Fresh from her success at the riding clubs dressage qualifier, Orla continued her winning streak winning the elementary class with DBS Goldfever with over 70%. This was a lovely finish for Orla ahead of her leaving cert this week - she will be hoping to get the same scores in her exams! Aoife Harrington and her pony Cosmic (Milky Way) competed in the preliminary class. Aoife previously competed in an unregistered class and has been training to improve her riding of the test ahead of her first registered competition. The hard work paid off as she and her pony took first place on the day. 

On the same day Megan Quigley and Lorna Keogh headed to Killossery for their horse and pony show. Megan competed with her chestnut mare With or Without You (Mia) and Lorna competed with her chestnut gelding DBS Second Chance (Sammy). Megan and Mia won the lightweight hunter class and took second place in the side saddle class while Lorna and Sammy took second place in the Small Hunters and reserve champion. 

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! 

Raising funds for the Irish Horse Welfare Trust

Established in 1999, the Irish Horse Welfare Trust (www.ihwt.ie) is Ireland's largest dedicated equine charity. The charity work hard to help improve the lives of neglected, strayed and rescue horses at their base in Wicklow.  At every show that we run, Dunbyrne Riding Club collect funds for the IHWT. Our generous members and volunteers bake cakes and treats that are sold at the shows and all proceeds go towards the IHWT. 

Last year our club secretary Charlotte O'Hare received this letter from the IHWT thanking us for our donation of €335. Our next show will take place this Sunday, 21st May when we will host a leg of the West Leinster Kavanaghs of Newbridge dressage league at Dunbyrne Stud in Kilmeague. We will once again have a variety of baked goods on sale and the proceeds and any donations on the day will go to the IHWT. We are very proud to support an organisation who does so much for the welfare of horses. Please if you are here on Sunday, come and enjoy some baking and contribute to a good cause at the same time. 

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