RUNNING as a very welcome new fixture on the southern Eventing Ireland calendar, Hillcrest staged its inaugural affiliated event last weekend.

This is the first addition since Crecora opened its gates back in 2015, and Beth and Rodney O’Donnell had certainly made every effort to produce an event fitting to the occasion.

Scenically nestled in the foothills of the Galtees in Co Limerick, Hillcrest has been in the O’Donnell family for several generations. It was for many years a dairy farm, but in a change of direction some 30 years ago, the family founded the Hillcrest Equestrian Centre.

Catering for riders seeking both lessons and trekking, the farm was also an obvious venue for hunter trials and riding club events. This progressed further, and in fact the national school’s hunter trials championships was staged here some 20 years ago.

With land on both sides of the quiet lane that divides the farm and plenty of undulations, the decision to join the affiliated horse trials ranks was a natural one.

“We had been thinking about it for a while,” remarked Rodney O’Donnell, adding: “So we decided to invest a bit of money and have a go.”

As a result, O’Donnell designed and built much of the track himself, while Kilguilkey owner Danny Dulohery stepped in not only with advice, but also with a number of portable fences.

Dulohery was one of the many supporters who came in to help during the final week, while others who tirelessly gave their time included Chris and Sue Ryan from Scarteen. The latter pair were responsible for much of the fence dressing, which was enhanced by greenery and flowers kindly supplied by Thomas Duggan from Millstreet.

“It was a lot more work than I expected!” reflected O’Donnell. “But we can build on it, and have the scope to expand further.”

Potential

There is certainly scope to burn, and potentially many features to expand. Massive ground works have already been undertaken to build a new water complex, while the all-weather footings are in evidence throughout.

The tracks themselves were, typically for a new venture, a little on the soft side. That said they were educational and suitable for the occasion, and O’Donnell will no doubt hike them up a level next time around.

Staged directly in the aftermath of Millstreet, the event attracted a modest but encouraging entry of about 150 runners. Classes ranged from a well-supported EI 110m class downwards, and included three for the amateur levels. Having broken the back of the preparation work, the O’Donnells are now hoping for another date before the end of the season.