THEY may not be prepared to ride in mucky fields but members of Dressage Ireland are becoming used to competing in the wind and rain, as well as blazing sunshine, as the increasingly popular discipline continues all year round.

While the championships dates and venues are decided at a national level, the sport in general is organised by the Regions which can result in three or four shows one weekend and one, or even none, the next. Looking at the entries, it’s a pity that each Region persists in advertising higher graded classes at every show, which attract little interest, instead of there being one higher graded show each month in different parts of the country.