Try It Horse Riding Sessions at Dunbyrne

Due to popular demand, we have added some more weekend “Try It” sessions to our schedule. Try It Sessions cost 20 euro for thirty minutes and are perfect for seeing if your child enjoys horse riding before committing to a term of intro lessons or a Summer Pony Camp.

Try It Sessions are suitable for children aged six upwards. Children must be accompanied by a parent or a guardian aged 16 or over who can lead them.

Visitation to our yard is strictly appointment only so to enquire or arrange a booking, please email dunbyrnestud@gmail.com

Summer Pony Camps at Dunbyrne Equestrian

We are delighted to have our Summer Pony Camps up and running for Summer 2024. We will be running pony camps every week starting the 2nd July.

Camps will run Tuesdays to Fridays from 9am to 5pm making them ideal fort busy parents, working parents and avid pony fans aged 6-17!

Camps will include 2 riding sessions each day, arts and crafts, stable management and games. We will have a camp riding display on the Friday that parents are of course welcome to come and watch.

Camps cost 250 euros which works out at just under 8 euro per hour giving great value for anyone wanting to learn about horses and ponies.

For our existing customers, camp can be booked using the links and information that the office will have sent you.

For anyone who hasnt ridden with us before we would ask you to come for a try it session (for beginners ) or an assessment session (for those who can ride). These last 30 minutes and cost 20 but if you proceed to book a camp afterwards, we will take the 20 euro paid off your camp balance for you. This means that you will essentially get your try it or assessment session free of charge,

For beginners, try it sessions allow parents to ensure their child enjoys horse riding before committing to a pony camp. For those who have ridden before, an assessment session allows riders to become familiar in a new place and allows our instructors to gauge their riding ability to ensure we place them in the right group.

You can learn more at this link - https://dunbyrneequestrian.ie/pony-camp

We are based at the Hill of Allen just between Milltown and Kilmeague in Kildare.

Please pop us an email dunbyrnestud@gmail.com with any enquiries

Summer Pony Camps at Dunbyrne Equestrian - August 2023

Can you believe it’s August already?

We are running half day Summer pony camps all through August at Dunbyrne Equestrian in Kildare.

Our camps run Tuesdays to Friday. Our morning camps run from 9.30-12.30. Our afternoon camps run from 2-5pm. Riders aged six or over of all levels are welcome

*for beginners aged ten and under we recommend riders to come for a 30 minute try it session costing 20 euros before booking camp. The reason for this is 1) it allows parents to see if a child enjoys horse riding before committing to a camp and 2) it means that the child can attend camp without having to have a parent or a guardian aged 16 or over accompany them the first day of camp to lead them.

Camps include horse riding, horse and pony care, arts and crafts and games. On the Friday riders will perform a riding display and parents and family are more than welcome to come and watch.

Children must be at least aged six or over to attend camp. We will provide riding boots, helmets and back protectors for use during camp for new riders. Riders must wear long sleeved tops without a hood, thick leggings or tracksuit bottoms (no shorts!) and given its Ireland a waterproof jacket an sun cream are always wise to bring as you will probably need one or the other. Long hair must be tied back and jewellery aside from stud earrings must not be worn for safety reasons.

What to bring - suncream, waterproof jacket, a snack and a drink.

Camps cost 120 euros and a 30 euro deposit via online booking is required. Full payment of balance must be made the week before camp. Deposits are not refundable. Camp payments after one week before camp are not refundable.

To book camp -

Book online - https://itsplainsailing.com/org/dunbyrne#merchandise

Enquire Online - just pop us an email at dunbyrnestud@gmail.com and tell us your childs age and level of riding experience. We can then discuss your enquiry with you.

Thank you

No Fair Weather Riders at Dunbyrne's St. Patricks Weekend Show

At Dunbyrne Equestrian we are a family run riding school and livery yard based at the foot of the hill of Allen. We held our St Patricks weekend show on Saturday the 16th March and were delighted with the high level of turnout in spite of very wet weather.

Our riding school clients enjoyed the show on board our Dunbyrne Equestrian horses and ponies while our livery clients joined in on their own mounts. Eight show jumping classes took place allowing riders to showcase their skills over fences. This event was an ideal opportunity for our AIRE approved riding school clients to show what they had learned from onsite BHS qualified instructors Tara Hyland and Kia Anglin. Over sixty riders took part many of whom looked very festive in St. Patrick’s day themed dress.

The assisted cross poles class allowed younger and less experienced riders their first taste of competition assisted by experienced leaders. The cross poles class gave riders a chance to have a solo run over fences while the 40-50cm class challenged riders with a course of twelve fences including a double, a turnback and a dogs leg. Riders stepped up to the mark with many impressive clear rounds in each class and a lucky dip decided who took home the coveted Dunbyrne trophies.

The sixty centimetre class was the first to include timing against the clock for the second half of the track to determine results. It proved to be very exciting as riders fought to beat the fastest time cheered on by spectators. Just three riders managed a double clear with impressive times. Top of the class was local rider Jessica McBride. Jessica has ridden in Dunbyrne riding school for many years and she and DBS Magic really were magic as they stopped the clock at 48.99 seconds to win the class. Second and third place went to fellow riding school riders Sophia Manning who competed with DBS Merrylegs and Ellie Moore who competed with DBS Rolo.

The seventy, eighty and ninety centimetre classes allowed the more experienced riders and the DBS Tailblazers to showcase their skills. Tailblazers is a weekly coaching academy run at Dunbyrne by BHS & HSI coach Lorna O’Hare to teach competition skills to under eighteens with their own horse or pony. In the seventy centimetre class riding school member Thomas Cruise really was top gun as he took on the course and rode a double clear at his first show on board Jumanji. This class was won by DBS Tailblazer Sive Murphy and her pony Cooper (Whats It All About). Sive gave a display of jumping against the clock with some very tight turns to cross the finish in 38.64 seconds. The eighty centimetre class was very kindly sponsored by John Davitt director of local construction business Davtech (www.davtech.ie) . It was only fitting that John’s daughters did him proud in this class. Niamh Davitt and Clonmore Bailey stopped the clock at 34.08 delivering the fastest clear round of the day! Second place went to her sister Sinead Davitt on board Killelton Starlight.

An eighty centimetre pairs relay class in which riders competed against the clock jumping six fences each provided great entertainment for spectators. Just two pairs completed the track with clear rounds. The fastest of these proved to be Sive Murphy and Caoimhe Sullivan who flew around on board their ponies Cooper and Judy to win the class less than a second ahead of Caitlin Harrington and Tabitha Walsh in second place. The final class of the day was the ninety centimetre class which was sponsored by Horseware and well supported. The course took it’s toll and just two of the nine riders who competed managed to complete it without any faults. Sinead Davitt had a foot perfect round in a very good time of 36.83 to claim first place with her mare Killelton Starlight. Zara Logan was delighted to finish with a clear round and take second place in this class at her first show on board her pony Prince.

Dunbyrne Equestrian would like to thank all who attended and supported this show, Michelle Davitt for managing entries, Helena Coffey for giving up a day to scribe, John Davitt (Davtech) and Horseware for sponsorship, Ross O’Hare for course building and judging and yard manager Kia Anglin and her team for running such an enjoyable day.

Dunbyrne Christmas Show

Our Christmas Show took place on Saturday 22nd December. We had a Christmas festival feel with a tea, coffee and hot chocolate van, a stand with local plastic free soap supplier Janni Bars and the Holmestead Saddlery mobile tack shop.

We were really overwhelmed by the fantastic turnout on the day and would like to thank all of our clients for taking part. We were really proud to see how much riders have improved and especially to see some of our riding school clients placing in the maxi showjumping class. Congratulations to all of our prize winners and clear rounds.

Our riding school is currently closed for Christmas and lessons for our regular clients will resume on Saturday 5th January.

Results:

Dressage:

Under 10:

1) Caoimhe Logan (Lone Ranger)

Under 12:

1) Zara Logan (Dustmister)

2) Ella Callan (Millie)

3) Caitlin Harrington (Cosmic)

4) Kayla Brown (Betty Blue)

Preliminary:

1) Orla Harrington (Othello)

2) The Alders Bobby Dazzler (Laura Kavanagh)

3) Millionaire Monty (Aoife Harrington)

4) Miia Pekkala (Chanel)

5) Suzanne Walsh (Yukon Don)

Novice:

1) The Alders Bobby Dazzler (Laura Kavanagh)

2) Rebecca Hoary (Honey)

3) Tabitha Walsh (Yukon Don)

Show Jumping:

Mini:

Shared between: Caoimhe Logan, Kayla Brown, Grace St. John, Rachael Gordon, Isabelle Smith, Emily Smith, James Smith, Emily Keegan, Simon Keane, Bradley Kavanagh, Joey Gordon, Ella Brown, Maeve McGrath, Charlotte kelly, John O’Connor, Robin Byrne Healy, Sophie Evans, Robyn keogh, Alannah Hilliard Duff, Sally Grogan, Alannah Balfe, Laura Tierney, Emer Markey, Aoibhe Murphy, Zaren Zammit, Nicolena Zammit

Midi:

1) Niamh Davitt (Star)

2) Zara Logan (Dustmister)

3) Sophie Flood (Monty)

4) Jessica McBride 9merrylegs)

5) Jessica Dunne 9Shadow)

6) Faith Wilson (Domino)

Clear rounds: Aoibhe Murphy, Saoire Byrne, Emma O’Carroll, Lila Traynor, Ciaran Carty, Anna Mooney, Gemma Carter, Kate Dooley, Fergus Dunne. Lucy Byrne, Sophia Manning

Maxi:

1) Caitlin Harrington (Cosmic)

2) Niamh Davitt (Star)

3) Ellie O’Keefe (Ludo)

3) Molly Dunne (Phoenix)

4) Tabitha Walsh (Vee)

5) Ella Callan (Millie)

5) Chloe Wyeth (Dan)

6) Thomas Cruise (Dan)

Super Maxi:

1) Aoife Harrington (Cosmic)

2) Tabitha Walsh (Yukon Don)

3) Sinead Davitt (Star)

4) Ella Callan (Millie)

5) Molly Dunne (Phoenix)

6) Emma Keogh (Shadow)

Best Costume - Caitlin Harrington & Cosmic

Best SJ Round - Tabitha Walsh

Pony Club Championships Success

The Irish Pony Club championships took place last week at Barndown and we had a number of excited DBS Tail Blazers heading down to compete in the event for the first time. Sive Murphy and Molly Dunne travelled down on Thursday to compete in the combined training. Sive and her pony Cooper had an amazing dressage score followed by a clear round show jumping to take fourth place in the Under ten combined training! 

Laura Kavanagh competed on the Newcastle Lyons pure dressage team with her pony The Alders Bobby Dazzler. The team took sixth place in a hotly contested competition. Laura and Bobby also competed in the open novice combined training where they placed fourth over all and also received a special award for getting the highest score awarded in the dressage phase. This was a fantastic achievement for Laura who was also recently awarded camper of the year at the pony club summer pony camp. 

On Friday Niamh Davitt, Sinead Davitt, Molly Dunne and Sive Murphy formed part of a team of fourteen riders who competed in the musical ride. They rode their world cup display to music by Lorna and movements Choreographed by Anne O'Connor. The team only started practicing last month and were delighted to take fifth place in the competition. With the coaches, parents and children all feeling enthralled and inspired by the various routines in the competition its safe to say this will be on the radar again next year! 

Performing with Pony Club

At Dunbyrne Equestrian we are very lucky to have two great clubs affiliated to the Irish Pony Clubs on our doorstep. A number of our tail blazers and livery clients are members of the Kildare Hunt pony club and enjoy regular outings to rallies and competitions. Keelagh Quinlan and sister Caitlin, Aoife and Orla Harrington are regulars on the pony club circuit. These riders have been attending regular training this Spring in both dressage and showjumping and are ready for action in the competition season!

A number of our Tail Blazers had never experienced pony club before. We encouraged all of these junior riders and their parents to look at joining a club for 2018. We believe that Irish Pony Club provides a brilliant opportunity to compete and enjoy horse riding with like minded children and to form lasting friendships. Irish Pony Club also instill a great culture of learning into members from improving their riding to learning stable management and taking Pony Club tests. 

On Saturday the 3rd February after a Tail Blazers turnout clinic and several hours of beautifying their ponies ten of our Tail Blazers headed to their first ever Newcastle Lyons pony club rally at JAG Equestrian. Laura Kavanagh, Tabitha Walsh, Niamh Davitt and Sinead Davitt headed to their C test rally while Hannah Groves, Sive Murphy, Ella Callan, Molly Dunne, Mia Browne and Zara Logan all headed to their first newcomers rally. The riders were looked after on the day by DC Grainne Alexander and coaches Phillip Gaffney and Anne O'Connor. All riders fared very well on the day receiving high praise for their turnout and standard of riding. 

We are delighted to see our Dunbyrne Tail Blazers representing the yard through the Irish Pony Club in both the Kildare Hunt and Newcastle Lyons clubs and look forward to seeing them enjoy many outings throughout 2018

AIRE Test Success for Dunbyrne Riding School

Last Saturday 18 of our riding school pupils took their first AIRE (association of Irish Riding Establishment) tests at Dunbyrne Riding School. The pupils, trained by our yard manager Michelle Leonard were tested on the day by Ross O'Hare (BHSI) riding either their own ponies or our riding school ponies.

Michelle does an amazing job of helping all of our pupils to develop and learn and the AIRE tests show the progression they all have made. All of the proud pupils received AIRE certificates from Dunbyrne Riding School. We celebrated afterwards with a barbecue in the yard where everyone enjoyed Len's legendary cooking skills. 

Foundation D Test recipients. 

Alex Noonan, L:aura Kavanagh, Blanaid Sharpe and Hallie Cullen

Foundation C Test recipients.

Molly Dunne, Amy Carty, Beth Dempsey, Martha WIlliams, Hanna Groves, Sinead Davitt, Lauren Power and Sive Murphy

Foundation B Test recipients.

Jessica Dunne, Jessica McBride, Ciaran Carty, Sienna Laffan, Gemma Carter, Alimay Conroy, 

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. 

Dunbyrne Riders enjoy Newbridge College Show

On Sunday the 7th May our lorry travelled to Newbridge College Show in Newbridge, Co. Kildare. The lorry was filled with excited junior riders from Dunbyrne's livery yard and riding school along with well turned out horses and ponies that these riders had spent hours getting ready to shine.

The riders competed in a variety of derby and showjumping classes at the show and were delighted to bring home lots of rosettes. Hannah Groves and her bay pony Brogan took third place in the 60cm performance class. Sive Murphy and her new pony, dun gelding "Whats it all about" aka Cooper claimed second place in the 50cm performance. Lucy and Lola Gabor competed with their ponies Bubbles and Rosie. Chestnut gelding Bubbles delighted Lucy by winning the 40cm performance class while big sister Lola competed in the 80cm derby with her bay mare Rosie. 

Laura Kavanagh and bay gelding Bobby also competed in the 80cm derby taking it all in their stride. Blaithnaid Sharpe competed on board chestnut mare Flame in the 60cm performance and the pair took 4th place. Tabitha Walsh took 6th place in the 70cm performance class competing with her chestnut gelding Revery. 

Instructor and Dunbyrne Riding School manager Michelle Leonard was at the show to guide and advise her pupils on the day while Dunbyrne Equestrian owner Len O'Hare kept everyone well fed. Both were very proud of both the riders and ponies and their excellent performances and achievements. With the show wrapping up, the lorry was filled with tired happy riders with lots of rosettes bringing their ponies home for a well earned rest the next day.  

Our AIRE (Association of Irish Riding Establishments) approved riding school, based in Kilmeague, Co. Kildare offers group and private lessons for adults and for children aged 7 years +. If you and / or your child would like to learn to ride, give Michelle a call at 085 8059529