HORSE Sport Ireland has announced seven new Level 2 coaches following the final assessment day at the Spruce Lodge training facility in Redcross, Co Wicklow and Grange Farm, Kilcock, last week.
The successful candidates in all three disciplines and newly-qualified HSI Level 2 Coaches are Aisling Doherty from Co Donegal, Crea English from Co Wexford, Robert Murdy from Co Cavan and Cormac Rafferty from Co Galway. Three of the new coaches hail from Co Kildare and they are Nicola FitzGibbon, Louise Halford and Emma Kieran.
HSI Level 2 Coaches are qualified to coach independently and are also qualified to sign off riders at Bar 2 and Bar 3 in the SJI Mackey 5-Bar System.
The HSI Level 2 Coach qualification is the first level where coaches are qualified to coach independently and currently the first stage where candidates must produce the required standard at assessment in each discipline.
The eight-day course began in February 2014 when candidates attended three one-day workshops in dressage at elementary level, show jumping up to 1.20m and cross country up to CCI*, CNC** and CIC** with HSI tutors Heike Holstein, Denis Flannelly, Tom Holden and Sally Corscadden.
The coaches observed and participated in these three education days where all prescribed exercises included in the HSI Level 2 manual were explained and demonstrated. They also attended a course walk at Tattersalls on the CCI** course led by young rider team manager Sally Corscadden. Candidates were then required to bring their own horse and rider capable of working at the required standard in each discipline for practical coaching sessions in June.
This was a chance for candidates to practice coaching under HSI tutor guidance ahead of the final assessments and each of them was given feedback on their coaching techniques with strengths identified and a clear pathway given to improve.
At the final assessments, candidates were once again required to bring their own horse and rider capable of working at the required standard to coach a specified topic in each discipline.
Horse Sport Ireland’s coaching chairmam John Ledingham said: “Congratulations to all of the newly qualified HSI Level 2 coaches. This is a challenging course and credit must go to all coaches for their enthusiasm and commitment throughout the last few months. The standard of coaches we have seen come through the course this year has been exceptional.
He added: “A special thank you must go to all the HSI tutors involved who worked with the candidates throughout the year. To quote the Coaching Ireland motto – ‘Good coaching makes a difference.’
The next HSI Level 2 Coach course is scheduled to commence early in 2015.
Meanwhile the Horse Sport Ireland is now taking bookings for its National Coaching and Breeding Conference 2014.
Taking place on Wednesday, October 29th from 9am to 5pm at Cavan EC, the conference will focus on producing horses for profit and performance and will feature talks from international show jumping legend Michel Robert and sports medicine expert Andy Thomas, as well as former KWPN inspector Jacques Verkerk and Dr Emmeline Hill of University College Dublin (UCD).
Tickets cost €50 per adult and €45 per student/child (including lunch). Contact Catherine Farrell on 045-854512 or cfarrell@horsesportireland.ie for more information.