Ride Report
Images can be found at:
aol.pixum.co.uk/viewalbum/id/4542945 and aol.pixum.co.uk/viewalbum/id/4542945
Also more at www.photoboxgallery.com/ildra/collection?album_id=209568932
Irish Rider successes in summary - see belwo for full report:
Red Dragon 160km ER (100 miles) - 2nd for Helen McFarland and J St.Jake (Helen was second last year as well)
Little Dragon 80KM ER (50 miles) - 3rd for Thomas Roach and Flint and 5th for Robyn Catterall and Ellanora (Robyn was 6th last year)
Dragons Egg 2 x40km CRs (2 x 25 miles) - Runner up Jenni Cunningham on Kilgarry Breezer.
Jenni also won the Cambrian Challenge Trophy for Top Novice pairing and completed both CRs with a Grade 1 finish.
The Red Dragon Endurance Festival at the beginning of October is the final major event of the British endurance season. Irish riders are frequent visitors, at the Royal Welsh Showgrounds at Builth Wells. A large number of endurance classes are available over the three days of competition, covering a wide variety of distances in the one day and two day format. This year, a good representation from ILDRA attended.
Builth Wells was in all its glory and the ground conditions were superb for endurance riding. The blue riband event is the Red Dragon 100 mile race, over two days. J St Jake, the mount of Belfast’s Helen McFarland is somewhat of a Red Dragon specialist, having notched up four successive top three finishes there since 2006. However, despite winning the 100 mile Scottish Endurance Championships, and the Khazan Challenge 100 mile ride over the Lincolnshire Wolds this year, the Dragon’s crown was to evade him again, being beaten into 2nd place by Chepstow’s Gillian Talbot riding Malabar Storm, with Janice Cockley-Adams on Khadidja Du Pont in third place. Amazingly, the three horses had matched each other stride for stride over 100 miles, with the final placings determined in a fast gallop for the line! Each pair recorded a speed of 14.4 kph. Other completions included Scotland’s Lorna Hogg on de Marco (5th at 12.4 kph) who also represented Scotland in the Home International this year at Ludlow; Abigail Taylor riding Charles Spence’s old mount Delorto Zaranz (6th at 12.4 kph) and last year’s Glenariff winner England’s Joanna Chisholm on Grey Medlar (9th at 11.6 kph)
The 50 mile race was won by Dace Sainsbury riding Ballota after a galloping finish with Jill Kent on Bitterwell Spirit (17 kph). This pair had just edged ahead of Wicklow’s Thomas Roche riding Mister Flint who recorded a very credible 3rd place at 16.7 kph. Armagh’s Robyn Catterall riding pure bred arab Ellanora to a 5th place at 15.7 kph. This was also the second year running in which Robyn achieved a placing in the 50 mile race and she can reflect on a very successful season, and in particular her 2nd place on Ellanora when representing Ireland in the Home International 100 mile 2 day event at Ludlow in July. Thomas had also achieved a 3rd place at the Ludlow event on Jasione Fluxiana.
Six ILDRA combinations also attempted the Dragon’s Egg event, a 2 day 50 mile ride, 25 miles on each day. Special mention must go to Ballygowan’s junior rider Jenni Cunningham on Breeze. This is the combination’s first year of competition, and having won the Irish Junior Novice Championship, they followed this up with a runner-up position in the Dragon’s Egg, and an award of Best Novice. Armagh’s Hannah Catterall was unable to ride her own horse, Holly’s Dream Flight, but showed her undoubted versatility in steering Cora Roche’s Rinka home on both days, and Hannah’s success was matched by Alison Sloan on Madison and Bronagh Kearney on Charmer. Kate Russell completed the first leg of the event, achieving a 25 mile Competitive Ride on Spike as did Cora Roche riding Jasione Fluxiana also completed the ride on the Saturday.
All these riders had competed for Ireland in the Home International and Celtic Challenge trophies in Ludlow this year and there continued success in England and Wales is a good sign of the growth of a nucleus of a competitive team able to both travel and complete in these major events.
Another very pleasing footnote is the announcement that Jenni Cunningham and the other riders have been able to raise a sum of over £3,000 for the Whizz Kidz charity through sponsorship at this ride, and other fund raising events.
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