Howth Riding Club

AFTER a hiatus of over 30 years, Howth Riding Club is back in action. Speaking to The Irish Field, chairperson Barbara Mackey explained why she and several others felt that they needed to bring the club back.

“Horses have always been a familiar sight in Howth so when Fingal County Council put up a sign saying ‘no horse riding’ on the old tram lines, which run from the sea front to the summit of Howth Hill, we knew we had to come together as one voice to ensure the paths we, and many before us, have ridden on for many years remained open to horses,” Mackey said.

“We contacted the local Pathways group and volunteered to come to their Saturday morning meetings to help them cut back and clear the pathways all over the area. This way we could ensure that both the walkers and riders can work together to keep the walkways open and accessible to all.

“Once the group of riders had come together for this project we started to chat about how it was important that now, more than ever, remained aware of things that could effect riders in the area. We knew we were stronger as one group and voice so we decided to see if we could re-establish the Howth branch of the Riding Club.

“We needed one member that had been in the original club, so I ticked that box, and then 10 more people that wanted to sign up. So in December last year we applied to register the club and in January of this year we were delighted to be accepted as a newest club in the North Eastern region.”

Macetown Riding Club

MACETOWN Riding Club are also on the list of new clubs in the North Eastern region. They are based at Macetown Stables, Rathfeigh in Co Meath and were established when their chairperson, Nicola Hughes, felt that some riders based at her yard didn’t really feel that they had defined goals with their riding.

“Many of our members wanted to compete but just to have fun and weren’t ready to join something maybe as official as Showjumping Ireland, Dressage Ireland or Eventing Ireland, but they did want to be able to go to shows,” Hughes explained.

“The AIRC offers a fun all inclusive environment with plenty of different levels available so maybe if I want to jump 1.10m and my friend is only interested in 70cms, we can still go to the same show and enjoy the day.

“It makes everyone feel connected and a part of something no matter what the level of their ability. We currently have 25 members and although we probably don’t have the space to host a big show, we do plan to maybe hold some clinics or master classes in the future.”

Brittas Riding Club

BRITTAS Riding Club makes up the third in the trio of new clubs for 2020. Based in Hampton Lodge Equestrian Centre in Brittas, Co Dublin, this is another club which has been re-established.

The West Leinster region club was originally founded in 1900 and has more recently found new interest from its 11-strong membership.

Their secretary Marguerite Vaughan explained that the impetus to start up the club again came from many of their riders travelling to regional events and how representing their own club could create a feeling of belonging and would encourage a more social aspect from the competitors in their area.

“Hampton Lodge has fantastic facilities a large flood lit outdoor as well as an indoor arena so we hope that in the future we will host some events. At the moment most of our members just really concentrate on show jumping, but hopefully the riding club will offer them the option of dipping their toe into something new; maybe trying out cross country or dressage competitions in a fun environment,” Vaughan said.