THE GAA might have the monopoly on Ireland’s national sport, but all of Ireland’s population enjoys another national pastime, that of talking about the weather.

What other nation can comfortably converse using only two phrases: “a grand stretch in the evenings”, and its natural successor, “a great stretch in the evenings”?

Awkward small talk is avoided courtesy of these two phrases and love has bloomed thanks to the conversation openings they provide. Even petty crime can be avoided by engaging the thief with either observation.

Like it or not, no self-respecting Irish man or woman can resist the lure of weather talk. Understandably, the perfect spring-like conditions of this week are ensuring that the national conversation grid is up to high voltage.

An otherwise routine hack this week turned special courtesy of a burning sunset. The top layer of sand in my arena finally has a thirsty look and the horses are showing signs of coating out. Spring has well and truly sprung and how welcome it is.

The arrival of the eventing season has coincided neatly with that of the fine weather. My first outing was to last Sunday’s Ballinagore event, a new addition to the calendar.

Firstly, let me offer my congratulations to the entire team at Ballinagore Equestrian Centre, whose tireless preparations resulted in a well-run debut. Despite the wet weather (there it goes again, the magnetic force of weather talk) during the build-up to the event, the ground conditions provided horses with soft, but fair going.

The cross-country phase extended over acres of rolling fields and ensured a very positive first-run for the younger horses. The show jumping arenas would have benefited from more consistent footing, but I understand that dry ground is always at a premium so early in the season.

Ballinagore proved a happy hunting ground for my horses, with Moss Star claiming the red ribbon in the open one-star and Westwinds Karlos, and Woodcourt Garrison taking red and blue respectively in the one-star class. This event carries enormous potential for the future and I will certainly be making it a permanent fixture on my calendar.

Not all of my young horses are quite ready for the electric atmosphere of eventing. Their time will come later in the season, with a little more mileage under their bonnets.

In the meantime, a lot can be achieved through show jumping and hunter trialling. So with half the country nose-deep in Guinness on St Patrick’s Day, the other half wound its way to the Louth Hunt’s hunter trials in Tattersalls.

To say that the day was well-attended would be a seismic understatement, with the open individuals alone accounting for almost 130 entries!

I capitalised on the venue’s proximity to my yard, and ran all of the young horses. It really was a case of all hands on deck, with saddles, bridles and riders being switched with production line efficiency. Niki’s hunting field determination was drafted in, as he too rallied some of the greener horses around the course. The next stop for the Stellor yard on the hunter trials circuit will be Easter Sunday, in Rahinston Farm with the Meaths.

With the eventing season fully under way and my lorry set to visit all corners of the country over the coming months, I enjoy exchanging thoughts with my fellow competitors.

One of the more pressing concerns on all of our minds is the revision of the frangible pin rule. Previously, the awarding of 21 penalties associated with breaking a pin was at the discretion of the ground stewards, with each infringement individually reviewed.

However, this recent revision is very much a one size fits all response, with no consideration given to the ‘how’ of the pin breaking; for example, had a previous horse and rider combination loosened it, was the fence proving itself a very big question with all competitors or were the day’s ground conditions playing a role?

With frangible pins not yet a compulsory feature of cross-country, the over-riding concern relates to the possibility of some course builders under-utilising them in a bid to have their event perceived as one where penalties can be minimised.

Be very clear on one thing; eventing is a competitive sport and professionals are under enormous pressure to get results. It would be nothing less than tragic if horse and rider safety were compromised en route.

Finally, let me conclude on a lighter note, and afford you the reader an update on my husband’s beloved Land Rover, ‘Mighty McQueen’.

A recent, sunny afternoon inspired Niki towards some off-roading, with our five-year old son assuming the role of chief navigator.

In Niki’s own words, “it started out well, with Mighty McQueen eating up the terrain.” Oh yes, it is all fun and games until one’s jeep ends up nose-down in a muddy ditch. Of course, this would also be the rare occasion when my husband’s phone had flat-lined.

All that remained was for my two men to traipse across the motorway, dragging half of the field underfoot and in their trousers, arriving at the yard like two lost puppies. Help was speedily arranged, with Mighty McQueen towed out by its near-cousin, Mightier Mc Queen! Boys and their toys...