Home for
Endurance Riding
in Ireland

Celtic Challenge Team 2010 - click on images to enlarge

Robyn started endurance in 2002 when she was 9yrs old and is currently Diamond Shamrock qualified. She is now 17yrs old and is attending the Royal School of Armagh sitting her A-Levels.  She has represented Ireland in the Hi & CC teams for 5yrs. She will be riding her pure bred Arab, Ellanora, who is 15yrs old. Last year they both successfully completed the 160km.

Kate has been involved in Endurance Riding for three years. She rode ponies as a child, was in the pony club and was involved in show jumping. She gave it all up to go to university and only returned to the sport when she purchased Spike five years ago. She has taken to endurance like a “duck to water” and along with her friend Alison Sloan is known as “double trouble”. She has been a member of the Celtic Challenge team for the last two years. She travelled to the Red Dragon last October and completed 50 miles over two days. She is looking forward to her trip to “bonnie Scotland” to defend the trophies.

Spike is twelve and is an ex racing pacer. Kate bought him five years ago as a “happy hacker”. He does cross country, endurance and will even do dressage which he hates. He is a little horse with a big heart and great trot.

Sancha has been riding horses for a total of 10 years.
 
She was a member of Iveagh Pony Club for 5 years and was fortunate enough to represent Northern Ireland in the Pony Club National Novice Challenge held in Cheshire in 2007.  Whilst at Pony Club she obtained her Riding & Road Safety Certificate and passed her C+ Exams.  They have competed in all disiplines - SJ / XC / Dressage / Eventing (with showjumping and cross country being Calypso's favourite - so he told the Horse Whisperer!!!) and have won a variety of individual and team classes.  Her latest achievement was coming second in the Schools Intermediate Team show jumping earlier this year.
 
Sancha and Calypso have been partners for nearly 5 years and they only joined ILDRA last year. She managed to get her Bronze Shamrock within 6 months of joining and is now Silver Shamrock qualified and working her way towards Gold.
 
She is thrilled to have been picked for the Celtic Challenge Team for Ireland and is really looking forward to the whole experience!!

Hannah who is 15yrs old started endurance in 2004 and has successfully completed her gold shamrock. This will be her 3rd year riding on the Celtic Challenge team for Ireland. Her horse, Holly's Dream Flight is an all rounder. Hannah attends the City of Armagh High School and is currently in the middle of her GCSE's.

Charmer has been with me since August 2002. We started to do pleasure rides in Jan 2005. In the 2007 we started to do CTR’s. In the beginning of 2007 we became bronze qualified. That same year We got on the Irish team which competed in Wales. We completed successfully and the team came second in the home international. In 2008 we got on the team again and completed successfully but unfortunately the team came 4th. In 2009 we also got on the team and completed successfully and the team won the competition.
Then in 2009 we got my silver shamrock and we also went to Wales and did our first 2 day 50 miles.
As well as endurance charmer and I have done pony club, hunting, trekking and hunter trials. We have been chosen for 2010 Irish team as well.

Edward Allen has been training and riding endurance horses for the past 10-12 years.  He has trained horses up to and including European Championships, for Red Dragon and the ILDRA race ride series.  Edward, a past chairman of ILDRA, has also ridden in a number of HI & CC competitions and for many years sent two horses to this annual event. 

As a rider he has always stepped up when required agreeing to compete at 120k when original chosen to do an 80k.  Edward is well known for his repartee and can do attitude- both of which greatly contribute to the team spirit.