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

Pony Rides at Punchestown

Ross was at Punchestown Racecourse this weekend with his team of helpers to give pony rides at the family fun day. This was a really busy day and several hundred children enjoyed a spin on board our riding school ponies Alistair, Cooper, Barney and Archie. These ponies are well trained and very quiet and didn't bat at eyelid at the busy funfair rides beside them or the bright face paint on many of the children! There were some very brave two and three year olds who were delighted to sit in the saddle for the first time.

We are very proud of our team of helpers who are great ambassadors for Dunbyrne Riding School and who made sure that every child had great fun. If you met us at Punchestown and would like to speak to us about starting riding lessons for you and / or your children at our AIRE approved riding school, give us a call on 0858059529 / 086 2222440.