“THE standard of riding is going in the right direction which means the standard of training is going in the right direction,” was the all-encompassing comment of Jane Whitaker following last weekend’s Premier Performance Dressage Ireland youth national championships in CoilÓg.

A board member of DI, Whitaker wore a number of hats at the weekend including that of show secretary/organiser (which included doing the times), judge, scorer and photographer.

“There was so much on, that I had to look beyond the usual suspects to help me out. Caroline Moran had travelled over to Scone Palace, where some of our members were competing, while Sam and Aisling Deverell were at the Lisgarvan international event with their daughter Maeve.

“Lucky enough, I was able to persuade two friends of mine, Karen Gibney and Sarah Richardson, who are very good at this type of job, to help me out with the scoring while the riders and their parents were all happy to muck in as scribes, call-up stewards, sheet collectors, etc. Everyone was very helpful and the whole weekend had a very positive vibe to it.

“Saturday evening’s Q&A session with judges Dane Rawlins and Vida Tansey was really good while the Freestyle classes were excellent. I’d like to thank Lorna O’Hare who helped co-ordinate these while Fiona Hayes helped out with the presentation ceremonies if I was otherwise engaged!”

While she is not judging at this weekend’s Dressage Ireland national championships at Ballindenisk, Whitaker did do the times for the three-day fixture.

Emily Kate Robinson is competing four horses at Ballindenisk but the Waterford rider also supported the youth championships at CoilÓg where she recorded an uncontested ‘small tour’ double with her Dutch Warmblood gelding Edvaard. The 16-year-old bay son of Christ is one of the four who will be in action in Co Cork this weekend.

Co Antrim’s Erin McCoy was the only starter in the FEI Young Rider championship where, over the two days, she recorded a combined score of 214 for her tests on her mother Jane’s Dutch Warmblood gelding Bjornsun, a 19-year-old bay by Johnson out of a Karthago mare. Winners also in the Junior section of the show, Niamh Winter and Ode To Shannon saw off their sole challengers to land the FEI pony rider championship.