TWO members of the Irish Pony Club were extremely fortunate that their mid-term break came before the Covid-19 protocols were put into place so that they could avail of their week’s training bursary at the Army Equitation School in McKee Barracks, Dublin.

Having finished first and second in the IPC Mackey show jumping Classic held at the CoilOg Equestrian Centre last September, Sarah O’Donnell of the Kilkenny Branch and Tipperary member Yousef Sallam spent five days (February 17th to 21st) at McKee where they received instruction in riding, stable maintenance, turn-out, travelling and veterinary issues from Lt Col Tom Freyne, Comdt Sharon Crean, Capt. Geoff Curran, Captain Charlene Kehoe, Lt James Whyte, their supervisor for the week, Cpl Stephen Burke, and CS Jay Hynes.

Sarah and Yousef have written separately about their week’s training on the IPC’s website, Sarah ending her report with: “It was a great experience that surpassed all of my expectations. The lessons were very helpful for me and my horse and I will use their little tips in my jumping season to come, which hopefully they will be to my advantage. Everybody was so lovely, chatty and helpful and we were well looked after. The (Ashling) hotel was really top-class and had everything I needed; the very nice food was a bonus also!”

Having arrived at the Barracks at 7.30am on their final day (Friday), Sarah and Yousef prepared their horses for a final lesson with Comdt Crean. This started at 11am when the pair’s parents arrived on site.

Brilliant lesson

“The lesson was brilliant and I was really happy with how my horse went and how I rode,” wrote Yousef. “However, the end of the lesson concluded our amazing week and I felt really sad. We took photos in front of the Equitation School with Comdt Crean, Lt Whyte and Cpl Burke and Syl Ryan of the Irish Pony Club. It was nice to get a picture with the people who made this week so special and unforgettable.

“Thank you to the Army Equitation School and Irish Pony Club for this amazing opportunity and thank you also to my parents and my instructor. I would highly recommend everyone in the Pony Club to aim to win the bursary at the 1.20 Classic final.”

Sarah also thanked the organisers for giving herself and Yousef the opportunity to enjoy “a once in a lifetime opportunity and unforgettable experience.”

The IPC hopes to announce details shortly regarding the dates and venues for the 2020 Show Jumping Classic qualifiers and for the final. The competition is open to all members of the IPC and there is a class for everyone from 90cms to 1.20m.