AIRC National Championships Here We come!

Wow - what a day we had yesterday! Dunbyrne riding Club - small and mighty!!

We had two teams representing us at the AIRC West Leinster dressage qualifiers at Redhils which is amazing for a small club.

• Team Navy (Myriam, Evin, Suzanne and Lorna) took second place in what was an extremely close finish! With twelve teams entered for the qualifier this performance has earned them qualification for the Association of Irish Riding Clubs National Championships!

• Team Orange (Blanaid, Michelle, Anna Marie, Sophie) took fifth place

• Blanaids super performance in the P1 qualifier earned her second place while Suzanne and Tilly took third

• Lynn did her first ever P2 test and smashed it with over 71% and third place qualifying her for the individual championships in a very tough class!

• Anna Marie and Pixie were sixth in the P3 class.

• Myriam and Evin were amazing in the N class taking 2nd and 5th place.

• Lorna was 2nd and 3rd in the M class.

All our prize winners took home super prizes from Foran Equine and Carr-Day Martin

Myriam had the best day as she was also presented with a gorgeous AYU rug for her league win! She and Beau have had an incredible season

We are still on a high after such a lovely day out and making plans to enjoy our day out at the national championships!

Dunbyrne Riding Club success At AIRC Autumn Leagues

The West Leinster region of riding clubs awarded prizes last week to combinations placed in the Autumn showjumping and dressage leagues.

We would like to say a huge congratulations to Dunbyrne Riding C|ub member Lynn Cadogan. Lynn and her black gelding Shooting Star Joe won the primary showjumping and dressage leagues. This was an incredible achievement especially given it was the first league Lynn has ever done.

Lynn a absolutely defines everything we aim to train at Dunbyrne - constant learning and development, hard work, dedication and a healthy attitude to competition.

Suzanne Conroy also did well in the riding club dressage league. Suzanne and her mare Tilly only joined Dunbyrne riding club this year and have come on so much in terms of confidence and ability. They took second place in the primary dressage league.

Anna Marie Curry and her mare Ely Pixie placed third in the intermediate league. This is always such a big and competitive class but their consistent performances earned them a podium finish.

In the showjumping Ciara Geraghty took third place in the sportsmans with her mare Flo. This was a brilliant result in what was their first ever league together. This is a new partnership and Ciara and Flo are proving to be a wonderful match.

Congratulations also to Myriam Bunter one of our liveries who placed second in the advanced intermediate dressage league with Star of Rubykan (aka Beau). Myriam joined us initially as a showjumper / eventer but she has absolutely caught the dressage bug since joining Dunbyrne and we are delighted to see her progressing in both riding club and Dressage Ireland.

Dunbyrne Riding Club is based at Dunbyrne Equestrian in Co. Kildare. We welcome like minded new members who like to enjoy their horses. To enquire, email dunbyrnestud@gmail.com

Everything you need to know about our forthcoming riding club dressage show

We are delighted that our club, Dunbyrne Riding Club will hold a leg of the Kavanaghs of Newbridge dressage league on Sunday the 14th of April.

Entries:

You need to be a registered riding member of a riding club in order to enter. Entries must be made online by visiting www.itsplainsailing.com/club/drc1

Entries close on Tuesday the 9th April. €20 entry for graded classes, €12 to compete in the Sportsmans class, the walk and trot class or to compete H/C in a class

Classes & Tests:

We will be running the following classes:

• Primary (AIRC Intro A 2011)

• Advanced Primary (DI P5 2012)

• Sportsman (DI P5 2012)

• Intermediate (AIRC 15 2013)

• Advanced Intermediate (AIRC 26 2010)

• Open (DI E46 2013)

• Advanced Open (DI M62 2015)

• Walk / Trot test (DI Intro B 2017)

All tests can be downloaded for free.

Dressage Ireland tests are prefixed DI and are available here:

https://www.dressageireland.ie/members/dressage-ireland-tests/

Association of Irish Riding Club tests, prefixed AIRC are available here:

https://www.airc.ie/downloads/

Photographer:

We are delighted to say that Brian from Saggitarian Photography will be here taking photos on the day - smile for the camera

Tea / Coffee:

We will have tea / coffee onsite and home baked treats the proceeds for the sale will go to charity

Safety:

Safety officer on the day: Rory O’Hare

First Aid Responders: Lorna & Ross O’Hare

Where to find us:

Our eircode is W91 YT62

Preparation and Training:

if you would like to ride through your test and get some practice onsite before the show our onsite BHSI Ross O’hare is available for dressage test training, please email us at dunbyrnestud@gmail.com to arrange a private or group session for you or your club

Joining a riding club:

Dunbyrne Riding Club is open for new members, to enquire or join please email dunbyrne@airc.ie

Making A Show Of Ourselves

It's mid April and it has been another busy week at Dunbyrne. On Friday the 13th our team took part in a local table quiz held in aid of My Lovely Horse Rescue. Our team, the DBS Bar Flies (Stine, Tori, Miia and Lorna) came second. We had sponsored some prizes for the raffle in aid of this good cause so two lucky raffle winners won a voucher for a private lesson with Ross and Lorna. 

On Saturday a group of our DBS Tail Blazers enjoyed pony club cross country training at The Field Equestrian in Ballyadams. Zara, Hannah, Mia, Sinead and Molly took part with Lorna instructing and had great fun tackling the water fences, steps and combinations. 

On Sunday Dunbyrne Riding Club held our leg of the West Leinster Region Linda Moore Showjumping League. Our own members did us proud on home turf. Michelle Davitt and Zono won the primary class - their second win in a row in the league. Tori Cummins Kennedy then won the advanced primary class. Lorna and Sammy competed in the advanced intermediate class with just four faults. Well done to all the winners on the day - Michelle Davitt (Primary), Tori Cummins Kennedy (advanced primary), Gay Parkinson (Sportsmans) , Audrey O'Dwyer (Intermediate), Grainne Alexander (Advanced Intermediate), Caoimhe Delaney (Open). We ran a coffee shop on the day to raise money for the Irish Horse Welfare Trust

Laura Kavanagh headed off hunter trialling with Bobby yesterday while Hannah Groves travelled to the Interschools at Mullingar with Brogan competing on a team who earned sixth place in the final. 

Orla and Aoife Harrington were at Killossery yesterday for the Dressage ireland league final in the Leinster region. Aoife and Cosmic placed second in both classes to take second overall in the league in both the Preliminary and Novice categories. Orla placed third in the league on the elementary class. 

Kavanaghs of Newbridge Dressage League at Dunbyrne Stud

On Sunday the 15th October we held a leg of the West Leinster region riding clubs league the Kavanaghs of Newbridge Autumn Dressage League. We ran seven classes on the day across the various riding club levels and had over sixty entries. We had two local judges on the day - Gisela Holstein and Patricia Creighton who assessed riders in each class. The weather was a worry but we were very luckyto escape with just some wind and rain given that Hurricane Ophelia arrived the next day!

We had a number of our members and clients competing on the day on home turf and we were delighted to see them do well. Anna Marie Curry and her horse Pixie took third place in the Sportsmans class while Michelle Davitt and Ozono took sixth place in the Primary. The open class saw a great result as Orla Harrington and Lorna Keogh took first and second place on board chestnut geldings Semperit and DBS Second Chance. Orla won the class with 70.69% in what was a very impressive performance on board a horse with whom she has only been a partnership for two weeks. 

Thank you very much to our riding club members who gave up their time to help us run this show and also to the West Leinster region members who came to support it. We held a cake sale on the day and will donate the proceeds to the Irish Horse Welfare Trust

Results - Dunbyrne RC, 15th October 2017

Advanced Open
Place Name Horse Club Result %
1st Deirdre Kane, Mighty Clever, Greenhills 60.76%

Open
Place Name Horse Club Result %
1st Orla Harrington, Semperit, Dunbyrne 70.69%
2nd Lorna Keogh, DBS Second Chance, Dunbyrne 69.83%
3rd Marian Murphy, Roxy, Calliaghstown 67.41%
4th Julie O'Callaghan, Poulboy Hidalgo, Greenhills 61.72%
5th Sara Wood, Whacky Jack, Celbridge 60.17%

Advanced Inter
Place Name Horse Club Result %
1st Fionnuala O'Connor, Mighty Clever, Greenhills 71.88%
2nd Genna Kavanagh, Royoco King, Killcarrick 71.04%
3rd Ceara Banner, Soprano, Abbeylands 70.63%
4th Stephane Greyling Weston, Furzvale Zuri, Cill Dara 67.50%
5th Orla Carroll, Bridgehousestud Riverking, Cill Dara 66.46%
6th Michelle Wright, Panda Bear, Cill Dara 65.83%

Intermediate
Place Name Horse Club Result %
1st Olwyn Alexander, Santero, Greenhills 72.14%
2nd Anne Casey, Dusty of Lishmar, Greenhills 69.76%
3rd Kathleen Moore, Garveys Joy, Celbridge 69.29%
4th Evin Foley, Highfield Hunter, Greenhills 67.38%
5th Patricia McGlynn, Salalah Princess Khareef, Killcarrick 66.67%
6th Niamh Daly, Seaview Volvic, Moyglare 63.10%

Sportsman
Place, Name, Horse, Club, Result %
1st Louise Parkes, Freelancer, Calliaghstown, 70.23%
2nd Deirdre O Loughlin, Rathnagerra Casino Royal, Cill Dara, 67.05%
3rd Anna Marie Curry, Pixie, Dunbyrne, 59.55%
4th Sheila Fuller, Sailor Blue, Celbridge , 57.50%

Advanced Primary
Place, Name, Horse, Club, Result %
1st Mary Leavy, Bozzie, Moyglare, 68.64%
2nd Katie Mc Parland, Crimson Dancer, Rathangan, 67.95%
3rd Rebecca Corr, Anonymous, Annaharvey, 67.05%
4th Catherine O'Leary, Geoffrey, Moyglare, 64.55%
5th Jennifer Moss, Freddy, Killcarrick, 64.55%
6th Noeleen O'Brien, Bento van de Noordheuval, Greenhills, 64.09%

Primary
Place, Name, Horse, Club, Result %
1st Kasper Feurer, Honey, Calliaghstown, 65.71%
=2nd Carmen Sánchez, Honey, Calliaghstown, 63.57%
=2nd Chantal Stewart, Move Over Sweetie, Calliaghstown, 63.57%
4th Karen Ferris, Lincoln Lane, Greenhills, 62.62%
5th Laura Byrne, LWS Quida, Greenhills, 62.38%
6th Michelle Davitt, Zono, Dunbyrne, 61.90%

Joining A riding club in Ireland

Riding clubs, affiliated to the Association of Irish Riding Clubs (AIRC) are one of the biggest amateur sport organisations in Ireland. Riding clubs provide a friendly and affordable environment for amateur riders in Ireland to compete across all disciplines. If you have never joined a riding club before the information and process might seem daunting so the aim of this blog post is to provide help and encouragement to anyone thinking of joining for the first time. 

In Ireland each affiliated riding club belongs in a region. There are over 100 affiliated riding clubs in Ireland. Our club, Dunbyrne Riding club is based in the Kildare area and falls under the West Leinster region. Riding club members compete representing the club that they choose to join and can compete in local shows run within their own region, in competitions held by other clubs and regions and in National championships. 

Why would I join a riding club?

Riding club brings together like minded amateur riders to learn and compete in a welcoming and enjoyable environment. It is the perfect way to meet new friends and build up experience. 

How do I join a riding club?

You must be aged 17 or over to join. To join a riding club you simply need to contact the club secretary and request to put in an application. All riding clubs and their details can be found at www.airc.ie. Our own club can be reached at dunbyrne@airc.ie / 0858144739 To apply to join a club the secretary will need you to provide your contact details, your competition and riding experience and details of any previous riding club members you may have had. They will also need your date of birth and some passport photos. 

You do not need to be on livery at a yard or living close by to join a specific club. Most riding clubs will base themselves around a yard or equestrian centre in order to enjoy facilities but riders can base themselves where ever they choose. Our riding club is named Dunbyrne Riding Club after our equestrian centre but membership is open to all and members do not need to be on livery with us to join and enjoy the club. 

How much does it cost?

Riding club is a very affordable sport as membership is simply paid annually for the rider. There are no extra charges for registering horses and owners. Membership to a club will vary from €65/70 + depending on the club. Membership runs from January to December with a discount usually offered to anyone joining in the autumn months. For example membership from October to December is available now at just €30. 

What level do I compete at?

If you have never joined a riding club before the club grading officer will asses your riding and your competiton record with other associations (if you have any) in order to advise you on the correct grade for you. In riding club the emphasis is about grading the rider rather than the horse. Riders can upgrade as they progress through the levels. Riders receive a grade for dressage, showjumping and cross country and there can be some level of variation between the grade for each. Beginner riders would be graded at the lowest level for dressage and showjumping and would not do cross country. 

If you have competed before your competition record will be assessed by the grading officer in order to advise on the best grade to start out as. A rough guide is below:

Dressage:

Dressage Ireland preliminary - Riding Club Advanced primary / Intermediate, Dressage Ireland Novice - Riding Club advanced intermediate, Dressage Ireland Elementary - Riding club open, Dressage Ireland Medium + - Riding club advanced open

Jumping:

SJI 80cm - riding club advanced primary, SJI 90cm - Riding club intermediate, SJI 1m - riding club advanced intermediate, SJI 1.10 - riding club open, SJI 1.20 - Riding club advanced open

Cross Country:

Eventing Ireland intro - riding club intermediate, Eventing Ireland pre novice - riding club advanced intermediate, Eventing Ireland novice / 1* - riding club open, Eventing Ireland 2* - riding club advanced open. 

Are there many shows?

We are very lucky in the West Leinster region as there is a dressage and showjumping league which runs in the spring and autumn which has approx 5-7 legs of competition in each. There are also a number of other shows run throughout the year in West Leinster or neighbouring regions including one day events and showing. OUr own club run 3-4 shows a year in the West Leinster region at Dunbyrne Stud in Kilmeague

What about the social side?

Riding club is known for its great social opportunities and outing as well as competitions. Most clubs run social events for members with and without their horses and the West Leinster region also organises a number of social and training days which club members can join. 

Our Case study:

Michelle Davitt started riding lessons at Dunbyrne Equestrian when she and her horse Zono joined us on livery in the Summer. In Michelles first lesson she was asked about her goals for herself and her horse. She stated that she would love to be able to join a riding club and compete at some point but wasn't sure how long it would take her. Michelle joined Dunbyrne riding club during the summer and worked during her lessons towards her goal of competing in the West Leinster autumn league. Michelle was ready to start competing on time for the autumn league and had an amazing riding club debut winning the primary showjumping and taking sixth place in the primary dressage. She and bay gelding Zono are looking forward to continuing to compete through the league and working towards their next goals. Michelle was nervous about competing for the first time but was supported and encouraged by our other riding club members including Susanne Walsh who competes successfully at primary herself and mum and daughter Clare and Orla Harrington who compete at dressage. 

How can I apply to Join Dunbyrne riding club?

You do not need to be on livery with us to join our riding club. We have a number of clients who keep their horses at home or with friends and who join us for lessons, competitions and training. To apply all you need to do is contact our club secretary Charlotte on dunbyrne@airc.ie / 085-8144739