THE Northern Region of Eventing Ireland is bidding to increase the number of commentators at their one-day events and are now into year two of their candidate training programme.

Andrew Napier, who runs Hazeldene Farm Equestrian along with wife Laura, assisted Peter Quirke at Tyrella 1, while, on Saturday last, it was the turn of June Burgess to take to the airwaves under the direction of Paul Nolan.

The purpose of the programme is to address the deficit of suitable multi-discipline equestrian commentators in the Northern Region and to begin working on succession planning.

Another aim is to increase the number of female voices on the microphone at equestrian events across the island of Ireland. In the medium term, the expectation is that some of the candidate commentators will advance to working at international FEI events and shows.

On a busy Saturday when there simply wasn’t time to stop for the big race, Paul kept all those at the event informed about what was happening in the Randox Aintree Grand National.

The finishers had only just crossed the line when, with all the figures at his fingertips, he was able to tell them by exactly how much Willie Mullins had eaten into Dan Skelton’s lead in the British trainers’ championship.

As she was listed to ride four horses, one would have expected Paul and/or June to refer to Casey Webb on the cross-country phase but she was an absentee having been ‘floored’ by flu. However, her name was mentioned as a regional sponsor through the Casey Webb Maths Tutoring business she runs with Aoibheann Morgan.