AIRC Festival Article in today's Irish Independent

Alibear

http://www.independent.ie/farming/news-features/all-clubbing-together-1412091.html

All clubbing together
From snooker showjumping to a buzzing social scene, there’s something for everyone at Irish riding clubs
By Caitriona Murphy
Tuesday June 17 2008
It's been on the go since 1973 and has been steadily gathering steam ever since, reaching a record-breaking attendance at this year's summer festival.
Long before tag rugby was ever imagined, the riding club concept managed to combine an individual sport with a lively social scene and has been reaping the rewards ever since.
With 130 affiliated clubs, eight regions nationwide and over 3,000 members, the Association of Irish Riding Clubs (AIRC) is riding high, if you'll pardon the pun.
Sixteen riding clubs founded the association that now runs Ireland's biggest amateur equestrian event of the year, the Riding Club Festival.
The two-day event recently saw thousands of horses and riders compete against the backdrop of Stradbally Hall, also known as the venue for the boutique music festival Electric Picnic.
The riding festival has grown year on year and the 2008 event attracted more than 3,000 entries in dozens of classes. In fact, much of the appeal of the riding club concept is that there is something to suit everyone.
The main disciplines of showjumping, dressage, cross-country and showing are all catered for, but there are also some unusual classes.
Ex-racehorses compete in special classes, there are classes for veteran horses (over 20 years of age) and veteran riders (over 55).
The riding club horse competition is designed to test, not how high your horse can jump, but how much of an all-rounder he is. Can he jump different obstacles? Will he move through bending poles for you? Will he stay standing while you dismount and walk 20m away from him?
The relatively new sport of Le Trec is becoming popular with some riding clubs and combines three elements: orienteering, gait control and tackling obstacles.
The cross jump event is a sport unique to riding clubs, combining as it does showjumping and cross-country in the same competition. Horse and rider combinations begin with jumping a number of standard show jumps before immediately heading off cross-country over ditches, dykes and rougher terrain before returning to the showjumping arena to finish their round.
How about snooker show-jumping? You must jump a red fence before you jump a coloured fence and continue, the same as snooker, until you have 'potted' all the colours and can then clear the table in the correct order.
If dressing up is your thing, fancy dress competitions cater for both horse and rider, and club members put an enormous amount of effort into their costumes, display and musical accompaniment.
However, it would be wrong to assume that riders and clubs are only in it for the fun -- the competition is fierce and some of these horses and riders are heading for the RDS later this year in performance and showing classes.
As AIRC general manager David Abbott explains: "They may be amateur riders but they are no less competitive than professional riders.
"Our typical AIRC members are working professionals: office workers, nurses, teachers, solicitors, you name it. They love horses and have enough time to get very involved with their clubs.
"Their horses are rarely sold and are often treated better than family," he laughs.
"Horse ownership is one of the main changes in the riding club scene over the past 30 years.
"Years ago the horses were hired from a riding centre but with the advent of the Celtic Tiger, a whole new market was created for all-rounder horses that could compete in different disciplines.
"Now, club members have enough money to buy good horses and that's a plus for breeders and the industry."
David says the typical riding club horse could be anything from a solid, sturdy, weight-carrying cob to a refined, finely-bred aristocrat and everything in between and there is no discrimination against any type.
"Ours is a gateway sport and we cater for everyone, not just the elite," he insists.
- Caitriona Murphy

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Whyner

That snooker showjumping sounds like fun.

I did my lesson last night on Trixie. She's the grey in the picture. I made her famous