THE Association of Irish Riding Clubs held its annual two-day Festival last weekend at the Mullingar Equestrian Centre where the general consensus was that this 35th anniversary renewal was the most enjoyable Festival for many years.

To mark the auspicious occasion, some past AIRC committee members joined the present incumbents on Sunday. These included founding members of both the Association and the very first Festival such as Helen Mangan, Tony Ennis, Maire Quinlan Pluck, Bob Thompson and Jean Fitzsimons. Helen was presented with a commemorative trophy for all she has done for the Riding Club movement.

“An absolute blast,” was how AIRC members who stayed one or two nights on site described the Festival where this year there was a big push behind the evening entertainment. Friday night’s Grainne’s Table Quiz, which was sponsored by TopSpec and won by Coole Lane, might have morphed into table dancing we’re told while Saturday night’s Music Bingo, sponsored by Agria was also a huge success. So too was the raffle which, well-supported through prize donations and ticket sales, raised €2,049.50 for the Irish Cancer Society.