Lots of fun at Laurel View Working Equitation Show

A wonderful day was had as the first-ever Working Equitation Show was held in Ireland

Jun 22, 2025

The first-ever Working Equitation Show in Ireland took place at Laurel View, Templepatrick, on Sunday, June 8 and what a wonderful day it was!

Over the last few months, training sessions have been run for interested participants to come and work on their skills under the guidance of Una Clancy and Laurel Faloona. It has proved popular with riders and horses, giving a fun way of training and forming a bond with your horse.

Level 3 overall winners at the Working Equitation Show, Jo McKelvie and ‘Peregrina LXX’ popping the vara pole into the barrel. PICTURES: courtesy of Equi-Tog

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The discipline involves riding a short flatwork test in a 20m x 40m arena to include movements required in the Ease of Handling (obstacle course), which is the second part of the competition. The Ease of Handling is marked in a similar way to Dressage with flowing movements gaining the higher scores. The competition concludes with a fun Speed test over a shortened obstacle course with time penalties added for errors.

Overall Level 1 winners Aisleen Long and ‘Sandy’ riding their dressage test at the Working Equitation Show.

Working Equitation is not only a sport, but also an emerging training method for any “working” horse – that is, any horse that is ridden for any type of equestrian activity. The international slogan is “WORKING EQUITATION – the FUN way to train SERIOUSLY”. This Equestrian Discipline does concentrate on the ability of a horse and rider partnership to negotiate various types of obstacles encountered on farms or ranches, which are similar world-wide. So, even a rider who takes their horse for a hack may well encounter these obstacles, and would benefit to add this Discipline to their training.

Wendy Forsythe and ‘Tifftarney PJ Gold’ negotiate the bridge on their way to taking the Level 2 overall top spot at the Working Equitation Show.

The competition was divided into three levels. Level 1 - Walk Trot; Level 2 - Walk Trot Canter and Level 3 - Walk Trot Canter (including lateral movements).

With places for each section, Dressage, Ease of Handling and Speed, then overall placings based on combined scores, there were loads of rosettes to be shared around.

Thanks to everyone involved in bringing this discipline to Laurel View and helping to run this first show. Check out the fun that was had in the Equi-Tog photos at www.equi-tog.com

Such concentration from Lena Twardzicka and ‘Lady’ as they rode into third in the Level 2 Speed trial at the Working Equitation Show.

To find out more and be in the know when training or shows are coming up, why not join the Working Equitation Ireland Interest Group on Facebook. Laurel View hopes to run more training towards the end of July, with another show in the pipeline for late September.

RESULTS

Sunday, June 8

WORKING EQUITATION

Level 1

Dressage:

1) Helen Watterson, Honey; 2) Aisleen Long, Sandy; 3) Holly Hanvey, Jeeves; 4) Anne Hill, Paddy; 5) Jackie Loughran, Freddie; 6) Angela Kernohan, Casper.

Ease of Handling:

1) Aisleen Long, Sandy; 2) Angela Kernohan, Casper; 3) Ursula Gettens, Lucky; 4) Helen Watterson, Honey; 5) Jackie Loughran, Freddie; 6) Holly Hanvey, Jeeves.

Speed Trial:

1) Aisleen Long, Sandy; 2) Angela Kernohan, Casper; 3) Jackie Loughran, Freddie; 4) Holly Hanvey, Jeeves; 5) Teresa Gettens, Lucky; 6) Anne Hill, Paddy.

Overall:

1) Aisleen Long, Sandy; 2) Angela Kernohan, Casper; 3) Holly Hanvey, Jeeves; 4) Jackie Loughran, Freddie; 5) Helen Watterson, Honey; 6) Anne Hill, Paddy.

Level 2

Dressage:

1) Debbie Cherry, Pebbles; 2) Wendy Forsythe, Tifftarney PJ Gold; 3) Rachael Kernaghan, Scarborough Fair; 4) Marina Hope, Junior; 5) Ruth Stewart, Caleb; 6) Lena Twardzicka, Lady.

Ease of Handling:

1) Ruth Stewart, Caleb; 2) Rachael Kernaghan, Scarborough Fair; 3) Wendy Forsythe, Tifftarney PJ Gold; 4) Debbie Cherry, Pebbles; 5) Marina Hope, Junior; 6) Lena Twardzicka, Lady.

Speed Trial:

1) Rachael Kernaghan, Scarborough Fair; 2) Wendy Forsythe, Tifftarney PJ Gold; 3) Lena Twardzicka, Lady; 4) Debbie Cherry, Pebbles; 5) Ruth Stewart, Caleb; 6) Marina Hope, Junior.

Overall:

1) Wendy Forsythe, Tifftarney PJ Gold; 2) Rachael Kernaghan, Scarborough Fair; 3) Debbie Cherry, Pebbles; 4) Lena Twardzicka, Lady; 5) Ruth Stewart, Caleb; 6) Marina Hope, Junior.