Dazzling display at Northern Region Awards Ball
Celebration of the Region's many eventing achievements during 2024
The Northern Region of Eventing Ireland held their Annual Awards Ball at The Stormont Hotel on Saturday, November 16 to promote the organisation’s many eventing achievements for 2024.
This was certainly the ‘Society Event of the Year’ with competitors, sponsors, supporters, owners, breeders and landowners coming together for an evening of celebration, compered by the amazing Raymond Bready.
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In his opening remarks, Raymond paid tribute to some of the Region’s stalwarts who, sadly passed away since last year’s event - Pat MacKean, Richard Tollerton, Rosemary and Jonathan Lowry.
John Gibson of Sporting Images, provided beautiful personalised gift boxes containing wine for the gents, prosecco for the ladies and sparkling fruit juice for the under-age winners.
Georgia Stubington, Northern Region Chairman, took to the stage to present the Awards, a full list of which is detailed below.
A very worthy winner of ‘The Bright Outlook Memorial Trophy’, which Richard and Nicky Nesbitt award annually to the person whom they regard best embraces the Sportsman criteria and ethos, was Samantha Dale. Samantha, who was caught totally off-guard with the award, returned to competition at the start of the year after a hiatus of many years and ended up being crowned as the EI 100 Champion with her Ars Vivendi mare, Threeseas.
This year, the prestigious Roy Pugh Memorial Award for the top Groom was awarded to Jack Rice, who was nominated by his wife Ciarrai who, herself, had a very busy night collecting four awards. Ciarrai’s submitted citation referenced the fact that her husband had given up his own love of car shows to dedicate himself to grooming for her and to assist her to grow and thrive on her eventing journey. Jack was presented with a beautiful print, kindly donated, as always, by Ruth Eyre Pugh.
Helen Dempsey of Equipe Saddles Ireland was in attendance to present prizes to the top six competitors in the NR Equipe Saddles Grassroots League. This was a great incentive to competitors across all classes from EI 80 to EI 100 and NR is deeply indebted to Helen and to Equipe Saddles Ireland for their encouragement to competitors at this level.
Kim Constable was then called to the stage to pick the winner of the £1,000, which she had donated for any volunteer, who had helped at a minimum of six events throughout the year.
There were 26 names in the tombola drum and the lucky winner drawn out was Shauna-Lee McCann, who has been an exceptional fence judge on nine occasions. It is especially gratifying that Kim has pledged to be on board again for 2025 to incentivize volunteers through her weekly cash injections.
There was a very successful Auction, conducted by Raymond Bready, as well as a ballot of many items. The Northern Region is deeply indebted to all those who provided auction and ballot items. The Bizz, as always, provided excellent music, with revellers taking to the dance floor as soon as the first note of music was sounded. Photographs on the evening were taken by Sporting Images and can be viewed on their website: www.sportingimagesni.co.uk.
AWARD WINNERS
Awards presented to horses and ponies registered in the Northern Region with highest places at Northern Region One-Day events.
EI 115 WINNER (also the Glenhill Gold Trophy presented by Declan Cullen):
TULLYBEE LOUIE, owned by Carole Hawthorne and ridden by Jim Newsam.
EI 110 WINNER [also the Hodgkinson Silver Goblet]:
NEWFERRY AGA KANN, owned by Herbie Walker and ridden by Steven Smith.
EI 100 WINNER [also the Hodgkinson Rose Bowl]:
MY ATLANTIC ENCORE, owned by Sam and Alex Houston and ridden by Alex Houston.
EI 90 WINNER [also receiving the Tullymurry Perpetual Trophy presented by Marian Turley and Family in 2019]:
TULLYMURRY MASHA, owned by Marian Turley and the O’Connor family and ridden by Elaine O’Connor.
EI 80 WINNER:
TOBERPATRICK GENTLE DOVE, owned by Louise Watson and ridden by Zach Watson.
EI 110 J WINNER:
SEAPATRICK BEACHBALL, owned by Deneen Mcclernon and ridden by Erin McClernon.
EI 100 J WINNER [and the Patsy Boal Memorial Trophy presented by Darryl and Fiona Boal in 2018]:
OPHELIA CRUISE, owned by Cathy Robinson and ridden by Katie Robinson.
NORTHERN REGION AMATEURS’ TROPHIES
EI 110 AMATEUR WINNER:
DYLAN AKA SPRINGHILL SHOWMAN, owned and ridden by Nichola Wray.
Nichola also received the Brown Memorial Trophy for the winner of the Eventing Ireland EI 110 Amateur League.
EI 100 AMATEUR WINNER:
LADY J, owned and ridden by Ciarrai Rice.
EI 90 AMATEUR WINNER:
WATER PAINT, owned and ridden by Katie McKee.
THE BRIGHT OUTLOOK MEMORIAL TROPHY - WINNER 2024:
Samantha Dale.
EI 110 P WINNER [and the recipient of the Fair Lad Salver, very kindly presented by the McKee family]:
ECH FEIRIN, owned by Anna Ross and ridden by Holly Ross.
EI 100 P WINNER [also the ‘Mission Accomplished’ trophy, kindly donated in 2010 by Elizabeth McMillan]:
ROCKON PEDRO, owned by Kim Constable and ridden by Maya Constable.
EI 90 P WINNER:
BARNADOWN LAD, owned by Lisa Tumilty and ridden by Tilley Tumilty.
‘SPECIAL’ AWARDS
THE SILVER FOX TROPHY - ‘PONY OF THE YEAR’, kindly donated in 2011 by the Brown Family. Presented to the NR registered pony who has achieved greatest results. Winner 2024:
ECH FEIRIN, owned by Anna Ross and ridden by Holly Ross.
PESCETTO FRIENDSHIP TROPHY - Given to the society by the friends of Sarah Pescetto and awarded annually to the most improved Junior rider, as selected by the High Performance Team of Dag Albert and Sue Shortt. Winner 2024:
MOLLY O’CONNOR.
JUNIPER GREEN AND KELLS TROPHY - Given to the Society by Georgia Stubington as a tribute to her two great mares. Presented annually to the ‘Eventing Mare’ gaining best placings at Northern Region Events. Winner 2024:
LADY J, owned and ridden by Ciarrai Rice.
IRWIN TROPHY - Given to the Society by the Coleraine Branch of Riding for the Disabled in memory of Mr and Mrs Irwin. Presented annually to the ‘Owner-Bred’ horse gaining best placings at Northern Region Events. Winner 2024:
TULLYMURRY MASHA, owned and bred by the Tullymurry Team, led by Marian Turley and ridden by Elaine O’Connor.
HANNA TROPHY - Presented to the Northern Region rider (over 18 years of age), who accumulates most points throughout the year at Northern region events on a single horse. Riders who have competed at two-star level or higher in the current year are not eligible. Winner 2024:
CIARRAI RICE riding Lady J.
LEADING RIDER TROPHY – the rider who accumulates most points with his/her horses at Northern Region Events (not including Internationals). Winner 2024:
STEVEN SMITH.
BELLE CANNA TROPHY - International Horse of the Year - presented to the NR horse gaining most NR points worldwide. Winner 2024:
QUINGENTI, owned by Georgia Stubington and ridden by Lucca Stubington.
THE ROY-PUGH MEMORIAL – A GROOM’S AWARD:
JACK RICE, husband and groom of Ciarrai Rice.
AWARD FOR PONY CLUB MEMBER GAINING HIGHEST PLACINGS:
WINNER: TILLEY TUMILTY OF IVEAGH WITH AN AMAZING 43 POINTS
RUNNER UP: SARAH GILCHRIST OF EAST DOWN WITH 29 POINTS
EQUIPE SADDLES IRELAND GRASSROOTS LEAGUE:
1) Ciarrai Rice, Lady J; 2) Tilley Tumilty, Barnadown Lad; 3) Ros Morgan, VOS Surprise; 4) Elaine O’Connor, Tullymurry Masha; 5) Maya Constable, Rockon Pedro; 6) Katie McKee, Water Paint.
REPRESENTATIONAL HONOURS
European Young Rider Eventing Championships at Strzegom (POL) August 21-25, 2024:
Ellen Douglas with Downshire Rock.
Senior Eventing Team for the Olympic Games in Paris (FRA) July 27-29, 2024:
Susie Berry with Wellfields Lincoln.
World Breeding Eventing Championships for Young Horses at Le Lion D’Angers (FRA) October 17-20, 2024:
Seven-Year-Old - Strangford, owned by Terry Johnston and ridden by Steven Smith.
National Championships
The Eventing Ireland National Championships were held at Kilguilkey in September.
Unfortunately, there was a glitch with Scoring, which resulted in two Northern Region members not getting their moment of glory on the podium to be crowned as National Champions.
Childeric Saddles Ireland EI 100 Amateur National Champion 2024:
Samantha Dale, Threeseas.
Childeric Saddles Ireland EI 90 Amateur National Champion 2024:
Amy Salmon, Clonaslee Captain Hawk Wing.