The All-Ireland Hunting Horse Championships - 2008

Alibear

The All Ireland Hunting Horse Championships, 2008

To be held at The Clonshire Equestrian Centre, Adare, County Limerick on Easter Sunday March 23rd.
By kind permission of the Limerick Foxhounds.
The Aim of the Championships.
1) To find the best horse in Ireland to go hunting on.
2) To publicise the ‘Irish bred hunter’ for what it is – the best in the world.
3) To give buyers the chance to see hunters in action in conditions as near to the real thing as possible and perhaps buy one privately at the Championships.
4) To raise money for Irish Hunt Staff Benevolent Trust, Crumlin Hospital for Sick Children and the Irish Horse Welfare Trust.
5) To give the hunting folk of Ireland the chance to get together at the end of the season and celebrate hunting.
Qualification.
1) All horses must have either a white passport, or if there is breeding in the passport there must be NO warmblood in the pedigree.
2) All horses must have been hunting during the 2007/2008 season with a registered pack of foxhounds or harriers. (Ward Union subscribers are exempt from this rule). Horses that have hunted with unregistered packs are not eligible.
3) Entries in the two hireling classes must have been hired regularly in the 2007/2008 season with a registered pack.
4) Horses must be turned out as for a days hunting ie. clean and tidy. Owners need not re-clip their horses. Horses must be correctly shod.
5) The owner or their agent must sign the Waiver before the horse may compete.
Riders.
1) The horses may be ridden by anyone that the owner considers competent. There is no age limit.
2) Riders must be dressed as for a days hunting, jackets, boots, stock etc. Hard hats must be worn.
3) Only short whips or hunting crops may be carried.
4) Riders will have to start the test standing by their horse and mount from the ground or the mounting block. If it becomes necessary to have someone hold the horse, the judges will look upon this as a failing.
5) No one who has hunted on a horse with an un-registered pack in the season 2007/2008 may take part.
6) The rider must sign the Waiver before they compete. (For riders under 16 years of age the Waiver must be signed by their Parent/Guardian.)
The Test.
1) Horses will be expected to jump at least one ditch, 1 drain, 1 fly fence and a wall. There will be a total of about 10 jumping efforts and the track will be less than a mile.
2) The test will be taken at hunting pace, no galloping please, and the judges will mark down those who go too fast as well as those who go too slowly.
3) If the stewards or the judges feel a rider is not safe or is riding dangerously they will be disqualified.
4) A fall (of horse or rider) or two refusals will result in elimination.


Entries.
1) All entries must be made before the day.
2) Entry fees must be paid at the time of entering. They will not be refundable as they are going to charity.
3) Substitutions may not be made.
4) Owners are asked to give as much information for the commentator as possible.

Judges.
The following people have accepted to judge.
Derry Donegan, huntsman Tipperary Foxhounds.
William Bryer, huntsman County Limerick Foxhounds.
Charlie Gundry, huntsman Kilkenny Foxhounds.
A.N.Other, (this will be a professional hunt servant)
It is hoped to have two judges from the racing world.
The way the classes will be judged.
1) Each horse will jump round the track ridden by its own rider.
2) The judges will pick about eight which they would like to ride.
3) Once they (the judges) have ridden these they will choose the winner and place the others down to 6th place.
4) The winner and second placed horse in each class will go forward the Championship.
5) The Championship will be judged by all the judges. They may wish to ride any that they have not ridden. They will choose a Champion and Reserve.
The Classes.
1) Young Horse. Born in 2004 or 2003 (4 & 5yo). They will have a smaller track but it will include the same type of fences.
2) Heavy Weight. Any age but must be up to carrying at least 15 stone across country all day.
3) Light Weight. Any age to carry an adult up to 15 stone across country all day.
4) Open Hireling. The judges will be looking for a hireling that is versatile, up to weight, biddable, sound, a good ride and worth its hire fee.
5) Hireling most suitable for a person having their first experience of Irish hunting. It is imperative that these horses are going to look after their jockeys over obstacles that they (the riders) will have never jumped before.
6) Hunt Horse. (Sponsored by Boomerang Bedding, Thurles) These will be either a huntsman’s or a whipper-in’s horse and they will be expected to jump wire and a gate as well as the other fences. The rider will have to crack a whip on the horse and ‘brownie’ points will be gained if the rider can blow a horn between fences. They must have been in hunt service in the season 2007/2008 with a registered pack of foxhounds or harriers. There will be no entry fee for this class; however we hope that the Mastership will make a donation! The prize money for this class will be divided between all the hunt staff at the winner’s kennels and stables.

PLEASE NOTE. Random spot checks will be made with the hunts to check that horses are bona fide hunters / hirelings.


Prize Fund.
In Classes 1 – 6. 1st €500, 2nd €200, 3rd €100, 4th to 6th €50 each. Rosettes to 8th place.
Championship. Champion €1,000, Reserve €500. (Sponsored by Goresbridge Horse Sales)
The management reserve the right to alter these rules should they feel the need. The ground jury will be announced at a later date and their decision on any dispute is final.

The intention is for the day to be fun and to make money for the charities. It is hoped that competitors will approach the day with this in mind.


Please remember this is not a hunter trial – it is a test of hunters. It should not be treated as a schooling exercise.

It may be possible to put owners in touch with local people for stabling but there is no stabling available at Clonshire.

Anyone who needs a hard copy of these rules etc can send a SAE to

Mod Edit: NO PERSONAL DETAILS PLEASE!

Alibear

Shane Breen has also been confirmed as a judge btw

togster

Really good idea! Its about time tbh. The Eventers have a similar idea at the moment with young event horses. I think this will be great for the industry as a whole.

finbarrk

Sounds like a great idea, it could really take off. I wonder will the drain be a big one!

finbarrk

Anyone here going?

Alibear

Errr... Moderator - Charlie Ripman's contact details were advertised in the Irish Field and on several websites, I don't see the problem?!?

It is against Boards.ie rules as they are personal details.

If people want them, they can PM you.

finbarrk

I competed there today, it was a great competition. I got through to the second stage of the lightweight class but my horses confirmation wasn't good enough to get the judges to ride him.
Overall it was a great days sport and fair play to Charlie Ripman for getting it going.
I didn't hear the overall entry but it must have been 100.

skink

thats great, really wish i could have made it down!

cyd

Other than the brief article in Horse & Hound, has anything else been written up about this competition? Something online would be especially helpful. And more pictures would be great.

Alibear

Well done FinbarrK There was a pretty big report about it in the Irish field with photos (I'm pretty sure one of the pro. photographers has a site as well), I'll scan it in for you if you want?

Alibear

http://hai.ie/gallery.php?gallery=Clonshire%20-%20All%20Ireland%20Hunter%20Horse%20Championship

cyd

I would LOVE to see that article! There is a similar but different competition for the Virginia Field Hunter Championships -- and there's a similar lack of internet coverage of the event. That's probably a good thing because each hunt sends only two representatives. A few of us have been talking about running an open competition. That's part of why I'd like to know more about the All-Ireland competition.

Finbarrk, if you wanted to write up some specific comments on how the thing was organized and what worked and what didn't, that would be useful, too.

Thank you!

http://www.foxhuntva.com/

finbarrk

The only fault I found with it was the judges went for very good looking horses that would have won in a show ring but mightn't have the bone to survive a full seasons hunting on Irish countryside without getting an injury.
Saying that I wouldn't mind owning any of the winning horses!
Who do you hunt with in Virginia? A few of us did a few hunts out there 2 years ago, Bull Run, Snickersville, etc.

cyd

Yes, well, it would be odd if judges didn't go for the good-looking horse! At a few of the competitions horses have to qualify but it's never very rigorous. I think you just have to accept that competitions, no matter how carefully crafted, don't show the reality of the hunt field. That's true for the Fox Hound Performance Trials they're putting on in the US as well. You may have the best horse or hound in the world and it may never win for an endless number of reasons. The competitions can still be a lot of fun.

I hunt with Rockbridge Hunt. It's just about the furthest south and west of the hunts in Virginia and it's a good three hours from Snickersville and Bull Run. But we probably met at Virginia Hunt Week. I remember seeing y'all at Rappahannock. I'm sure we emailed since I run the website for VHW.

finbarrk

Oh yeah, I think I remember you now, was it you that gave us the pins for the hunt week?

cyd

Yes, that was me.

finbarrk

Well if you ever come to Ireland hunting call us and we will sort you out. Although I suppose Aidan would be doing that!

cyd

Don't worry . . . the odds of me getting to Ireland are . . . I'm not sure "astronomical" covers it. Nil. Not sure I'd be brave enough to try hunting in any case! Thanks for the kind offer.