Perfect conditions for Endurance Ireland National Championships 2024
Stradbally Hall, Co Laois provided a super venue for the various distances
The Endurance Ireland National Championships 2024 were held at Stradbally Hall, Co Laois on Sunday, October 13.
After having to postpone from the previously planned date of September 29, due to the storms that weekend, organisers and competitors were blessed with perfect weather and ground conditions on Sunday.
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The stunning venue provided never-ending fields for participants to ride round, as well as sections of forest trails and the luxury of only one road to cross over to get to even more fields! There was plenty of evidence of the Electric Picnic music and arts festival, held at the venue back in August, which included sets, stages and even a giant Shrek carving among the trees!
Organisers had gone to great lengths to mark the route clearly, while the vet and scribes were efficient in working through the queue of horses, particularly at the post-ride vetting.
A number of very generous sponsors supported the prizes for the various championships and sincere thanks are extended to main sponsor Gain Horse Feeds; Hogbens Saddle and Harness Markers (best turned out); Bernie Leadon Bolger (artwork for the Connemara class); and Damien and Mary Kenny, who sponsored 'Slaneyside Stud Perpetual Trophy' for the Irish Draught classes.
Well done to everyone who completed their nominated distance and passed their vettings, as well as to those who took home the prizes.
Thank you to the organisers for putting together such a fantastic day of competition; for putting on a spread of sandwiches and fabulous buns to feed the hungry horsey people and for even providing bags of treats for each and every horse or pony, so that nobody went home empty-handed!
RESULTS
Sunday, October 13
National Championships 2024
Open Champion:
Teresa Moore
Intermediate Champion:
Grainne Embelton.
Novice Champion:
Bree Rutledge
2) Caroline Hamilton; 3) Zara Doyle.
Trail Champion:
Joanne Connolly
2) Emily O'Shea; 3) Karen Kiely.
IQHA (Irish Quarter Horse Association) Champion:
Deirdre Woods.
CPBS Champion:
Roisin Fitzpatrick (Caherview Tom)
2) Francesca Murray; 3) John O'Connor.
Irish Draught Champion:
Aoife O'Mara (her six-year-old mare by Killea Hill View)
2) Hazel Martin; 3) Ashling Hardy.
