ILDRA hosts Pleasure Ride at Scarvagh House Estate
Riders get some fitness work ahead of St Patrick's Coast Endurance Ride
ILDRA (Irish Long Distance Riding Association) headed to Scarvagh House Estate on Sunday, September 25 for a day of pleasure riding, with many riders choosing this as an opportunity to get in some last minute fitness work before the annual St. Patrick’s Coast Endurance Ride taking place on Saturday, September 7.
Following tracks through the estate, as well as the option to take a ride along the gallops and through barley fields, there was great going on the day for faster work, with attending riders enjoying themselves despite the wetter weather conditions!
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Thanks go to the ride organiser John Anderson, ably assisted by Kirsten Conly and Ros Morcombe, for their help on the day. Thanks also go to the Buller family for allowing access to Scarvagh House Estate, as well as to Judy Maxwell for her continued support of ILDRA rides by providing a bag of feed for the lucky winner, Nicola McAllister!
Don’t forget to attend ILDRA’s rides and you could be a lucky winner too.
ILDRA’s next event is the much-anticipated St. Patrick’s Coast Endurance Ride, taking place from Downpatrick Racecourse. This unmissable event offers unparalleled riding scenery in Ireland, with the route covering land from over 40 landowners and farmers with riding through the drumlin landscape of Lecale towards Tyrella beach, with the spectacular Mourne Mountains as a sweeping backdrop. There are a variety of route options available for both pleasure and competitive riders, as well as the annual Teams competition for vetted pleasure riders choosing to participate, don’t forget to get your entry in!
Catering during the day will be provided by Rosemount Cottage Farm Meats.
St. Patrick’s Coast Endurance Ride doesn’t end with just the ride, there is also the annual Farmers’ and Prize giving dinner on the Saturday night, with a pig-on-a-spit. Tickets are available when booking your ride entry.
It is great ‘craic’ and a good way to say thank you to the farmers, landowners and stewards! Thanks also go to the sponsors (both new and returning!) of St Patrick’s Coast Endurance Ride, who provide prizes and goodies for riders in their rider packs; Annaghmore Saddlery, Doagh Equestrian, Tayto, Premier Equine, KCD Crafts, Chris Ewing Trailer Repairs, Kingsfield Haylage, Holmestead Saddlery, TRI Equestrian, Brookhill Horse Holiday Livery, Bailey’s Horse Feeds, Botanica, On the Hoof, Downpatrick Racecourse, Performance Equestrian and the British Horse Society.
A lot of hard work goes into this ride. A team of volunteers have been out over the past couple of weeks preparing the route, including replacing one of the bridges on part of the route! If you are able to help to get the route ready, please make contact via the St. Patrick’s Coast Ride Facebook page for details of where to meet or if you can help out on the day, please let ILDRA know. Don’t forget to encourage any friends or family members who aren’t riding and would be able to help with the ride on the day to get in contact with St. Patrick’s Coast or ILDRA’s Facebook pages - their help would be greatly appreciated as there are several road crossings, which need to be manned to ensure all riders and horses have a safe ride.
They will receive snacks and lunch, as well as invitation to the annual awards dinner, which takes place on the night (and a plus-one ticket), with a pig-on-a-spit. They will also receive complimentary raceday tickets for Downpatrick Racecourse for two people.