THE Executive Committee and Board of Dressage Ireland have been busy working on, and implementing, some changes for 2017. Along with new membership incentives, which include discounted fees for members of other Horse Sport Ireland affiliates and free first year registration of native Irish breeds, the rider categories were restructured.

In keeping with chairman Joe Reynolds’ vision of broadening the base to increase the pinnacle and encourage participation in dressage from all level of riders, it was decided to change the previously two-tiered rider category system to three categories, in order to ensure fairer competition at the lower levels.

Category one is now for riders competing at preliminary and novice, while Category two coincides with the introduction of lateral work at elementary and medium. Category three is for riders competing at medium level and above.

Also new for 2017 are the ‘Trailblazer’ classes, aimed at Category one younger members with the intention of establishing a structured training and competition pathway for grassroots young riders. As well as encouraging participation in sport, Dressage Ireland hopes that the Trailblazers system will encourage a sense of community amongst the younger members where they will form lifelong friendships as well as the opportunity to experience National level competition amongst their peers rather than competing with adult riders.

TRAILBLAZER

Introduced in January, the Trailblazer classes are proving to be a huge success with 28 qualified combinations taking part in the Junior (under 16yrs) and Senior (16-21yrs) sections at the recent Dressage Ireland Winter Finals at Cavan Equestrian Centre. The youngest competitors were eight-year-olds Laragh Byrne and Rebecca McGrath, both of whom are following in their mothers’ footsteps in the dressage arena.

Laragh’s mother, Sonya McCormack, competed in the Prix St George level with the well-known former international event horse The Jump Jet, while Rebecca’s mother, Dressage Ireland Executive Committee member Sinead McGrath, had her Mermus R youngster, Killard Precision, in Cavan for the Category three Preliminary.

The Junior Trailblazer Preliminary class, judged by Dane Rawlins and Ivor Harper, was won by Ballinrobe-based 14-year-old old Faye McGrath (Cahernablaughey Girl) with a fantastic score of 74.28%. Competing at Dressage Ireland for the past 18 months, this Midlands and Western Region combination qualified at Clonlara Equestrian Centre in early February.

Recent dressage convert, Ellen Sheridan and the nine-year-old Carna King mare Blackbamalam scored 70% to top the judges marks.

While show jumping was previously her passion, Ellen took up dressage after being sidelined for several months following surgery on her ankle. She is now planning her return to Cavan for the National Championships in September.

Another new member, Leah Tracey, riding the 15-year-old mare Rylane Desert, by Templebrady Fear Bui, topped Dane Rawlins and Joan Ahern’s Junior Trailblazers Novice class having also placed fourth in the Junior Preliminary earlier in the day.

The Senior Novice class was won by Aimee Maxwell with 19-year-old 143cms handsome bay gelding Romeo.

The winners took home Dressage Ireland training vouchers, while all those in the ribbons received goodie bags, kindly sponsored by TRI Equestrian.