Leinster TREC Practice Day,
Saturday 20th February, 2016
Lullymore EC, Rathangan, Co Kildare.

The fine Derby Arena at Lullymore Equestrian Centre in Co Kildare was the perfect venue for Leinster TREC riders who were keen to refresh their PTV and MA skills ready for the upcoming competitive season.

A selection of 16 natural obstacles and TREC-specific obstacles was available on the day, including lots of different height Step-Up, Drop and Tree Trunks.  There was also a substantial Water Crossing, different Inclines Up and Down and a Mound which we rarely get a chance to practice out of competition. Also set up in the large arena were the TREC obstacles including Mounting, Rein back, Slalom, One Handed Figure of Eight and Gate, plus the S-bend which was cunningly placed on top of a Step-Up and Immobility obstacle placed beside the Water complex!  
There was also plenty of opportunity for riders to practice their Paces along a 100m MA corridor.
  
Such was the enthusiasm for trying out all the Ridden Obstacles and MA corridor that each 45 minute group session was almost finished before there was much time left to try anything In-Hand!   But the objective of the day – to get riders back into TREC form – was amply fulfilled and the smiling faces as everyone left the arena (via the Ridden Gate obstacle!) showed the fun and success of the day.

The Annual General Meeting of Leinster TREC members was held on Sunday, 22nd November, 2015 at Kildare Maze, Prosperous, in Co Kildare.
The Meeting was well attended with 22 members present.
 
The Chairperson’s report reminded members of the many and varied Leinster TREC activities which had taken place during 2015.  Leinster TREC held 19 events during this year, starting in the middle of February and continuing right through until December, when our first Christmas dinner was planned.  Events included a PTV (Obstacle)/CoP League, POR (Orienteering) League, a One Day (3-phase) Medley, Versatile TREC League, Obstacle/CoP Training, Judges POR Training, TD training and rider’s Maproom Skills practice sessions. We also hosted the very first TREC Ireland National PTV/MA Championships at Punchestown.
Leinster TREC was fortunate in 2014 to receive Sponsorship for several of the competitions – TRI Equestrian sponsored both our PTV/CoP League and the 3-Phase Event, Claire Molloy Ceramics sponsored the Medley and Feaha Moore of Loughway Stud sponsored the Versatile TREC League, for which they were sincerely thanked.
The Chairperson also reminded members of the many excellent results and top placings achieved by Leinster TREC members at National Competitions throughout Ireland over the year and also that 5 of our members had qualified to travel to Scotland to compete in the very first TREC GB Championships.
The Chairperson then ended by thanking most sincerely all the members and volunteers plus landowners and Yard proprietors, who had helped throughout the year to make the running of competitions and other activities such a success for everyone.
 
The Election of Officers for 2015 then took place, duly proposed and seconded:
Chairpersons (joint): Ailbhe Gavin; Sheila Fuller
Secretary: Celia Taylor
Treasurer: Rosemarie Bryson
Committee: Catherine Bartley, Paula Donohoe, Trish Young, plus new members Lorna O’Neill and Margaret Lynch.
 
The Meeting was then closed, after which Prizes and Presentations took place.
 
Leinster TREC POR League 2015 – Placings.
Level 1:      1st=    Michelle McCormack, Margaret Lynch,
                   3rd=    Susanne O’Rourke, Natasha O’Rourke
                   5th      Margo Monaghan
                   6th      Louise Parkes
Level 2:      1st       Liz Burbage
                   2nd      Vicky McMullan
                   3rd      Trish Young
                   4th      Kayleigh McCormack
                   5th=    Louise Parkhill, Sophie Sauveroche
                  
Level 2A/X: 1st      Rosemarie Bryson
                   2nd     Lorna O’Neill
                   3rd      Celia Taylor
                   4th=    Niamh O’Huid, Sheaffe Monteith
                   6th      Diana O’Huid
 
TRI EQUESTRIAN PTV/MA League, 2015 – Placings
OPEN          1st      Celia Taylor
                   2nd     Diana O’Huid
                   3rd      Ailbhe Gavin
                   4th      Louise Parkhill
                   5th      Rosemarie Bryson
                   6th      Sheila Fuller
 
NOVICE       1st     Margaret Lynch
                   2nd    Susanne O’Rourke
                   3rd     Liz Burbage
                   4th     Margo Monaghan
                   5th     Natasha O’Rourke
                   6th     Marie Gallagher
 
VOLUNTEERS OF THE YEAR    Toni Rust, Michelle Chambers, Clare Fay, Eileen Carr.
 
RIDER OF THE YEAR     Susanne O’Rourke.
 
TREASURE HUNT!
After the AGM, a Fun Treasure Hunt took place through the Kildare Maze, organised by the owners. Groups of 6 adults and children set off excitedly to hunt down and answer the questions on the hidden clue cards.  The winners with the most correct answers in the fastest time were the Yellow team!   Well done to them!
Everyone then returned to the meeting room to enjoy endless Pizzas, sandwiches, tea and coffee - a fitting end to a most enjoyable non-horsy day!

Photos from the AGM and Christmas party can be found on our Facebook page.
 

A reminder to all our treccies that the hat standard EN1384 is being removed from the list of approved headgear. This means that hats bearing the EN 1384 standard only will no longer be allowed in our competitions.

The following standards will be accepted:
European – All PAS 015
American – All SEI ASTM 95, ASTM F1163 2004 and SNELL E2001
Australian & New Zealand – All AS/NZS 3838 2006
Hats will be inspected at our events throughout the year to ensure they meet the required standards.

For further information on the withdrawal of the EN1384 standard, see
www.beta-uk.org/pages/news-amp-events/news/faqs-on-riding-hats-after-1384-withdrawal.php?searchresult=1&sstring=european+riding+hat+standard

Leinster TREC AGM and annual Treasure Hunt will take place on Sunday 22nd November!  We are planning a really fun day which is open to everyone, so bring along spouses, partners, kids, grannies, friends, etc (no dogs, sorry)!
 
The AGM will take place in Kildare maze, Prosperous, Co. Kildare (you can check out their website http://www.thekildaremaze.com). Immediately after the AGM, we will have a presentation of prizes and rosettes for the Leinster TREC POR and PTV Leagues 2015. Annual Awards will also be presented to some of our excellent volunteers and riders!  
 
Following on from the presentations, it's into the maze for our Treasure Hunt!! Kildare Maze is a fantastic venue for our AGM. Not only is there the big maze, but also the smaller wooden maze, crazy golf and a playground.

See you there!

There were fantastic results for the 18 Leinster TREC members who took part at the TREC Ireland National PTV and MA Championships held recently at Punchestown Racecourse.

This was a brilliant event with up to 180 competition rounds being ridden by Treccies from all over Ireland, including representatives from Donegal TREC, Three Counties TREC, Turas TREC, Kerry TREC, Midlands TREC and West Cork TREC as well as our Leinster contingent. There were also many local riders taking part in their first TREC event and they really enjoyed their introduction to our sport.

Here is a list of placings for some of our Leinster TREC members. Congratulations to each and every one of you and, indeed, to all our other members who took part in this very competitive event!

Open PTV Championships: 3rd: Vicky McMullan on Garnagree Duke; 9th: Ailbhe Gavin on Robert; 10th: Maura Walsh on Shakespeare
Intermediate PTV Championships: 8th: Sheila Fuller on Zaristo; 9th: Caroline Aragane on Ross ML
Novice PTV Championships: 1st: Susanne O'Rourke on Apache; 2nd: Margo Monaghan on Ben; 3rd: Liz Burbage on General's Daughter; 8th: Liisa Rantamaki on Hugh de Lacy

PTV Teams: 2nd: Team BLACK Susanne/Rosemarie/Sheila/Lorna; Joint 3rd: Team RED: Margo/Vicky/Marie
MA Championships: 5th: Maura Walsh on Shakespeare; 7th: Caroline Aragane on Ross ML
Intermediate PTV: 3rd: Paula Donohoe on Surprise
Novice PTV: 1st: Natasha O'Rourke on Bronte; 4th: Catherine Bartley on The Mighty Tim
Novice X TREC: 2nd: Rosemarie Bryson on Tiko; 3rd: Susanne O'Rourke on Apache
Open Versatile TREC: 4th: Sheila Fuller on Zaristo; 5th: Caroline Aragane on Ross ML
Novice Versatile TREC: 1st: Margo Monaghan on Ben; 4th: Margaret Lynch on Frere Jacque; 6th: Catherine Bartley on The Mighty Tim 
Intro Versatile TREC: 3rd: Margaret Lynch on Frere Jacque

I hope you've all seen your names in The Irish Field and in Ireland's Horse Review. There has also been great coverage on Facebook with hundreds and hundreds of fantastic photos, most of them taken by our two official photographers on the day, William Blayney and Mike Murphy. Huge thanks are due to them.

Loughway Stud, of Timahoe, Co. Kildare, is kindly sponsoring Leinster TREC's 'Versatile TREC League' this year. Two events will take place - 25th October and 15th November.

Versatile TREC takes place in an arena and combines obstacles with obedience movements, proving a real challenge for the horse and rider relationship.

The events are open to all. You'll find an entry form on the Calendar page or contact us at leinstertrec@gmail.com if you have any questions or wish to see a copy of the tests.

The TREC Ireland National PTV/MA Championships are to be held in Punchestown, Co. Kildare. This promises to be a fantastic event with a wide variety of competitions and extremely generous sponsors.
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The X-TREC class is kindly being sponsored by the Institute of Natural Medicine Ireland (INMI). The INMI is a new and dynamic provider of natural medicine training courses, including Acupuncture, Chinese Tuina Therapy, and Herbal medicine. They have a busy clinic located in Castleknock, Dublin 15. They help you achieve your potential in health and wellness and help align your pelvis and spine also helping you become more connected in your riding. They are offering the following prizes for the INMI X-TREC Competition:

First place:
- Natural Calendula skin healing balm for horse wounds & nicks
- Rubisalve muscle balm for aches and pains
- Famous foot-soak recipe for tired feet
- plus some surprise samples

Second place:
- Natural Calendula skin healing balm for horse wounds and nicks
- Famous foot-soak recipe for tired feet

Third place:
- Calendula horse skin healing balm

All products provided are supplied and made courtesy of Ashford Natural Health Care and in association with Doug Murphy who is our residential herbal medicine expert and nutrional therapist.

They are also offering a 20% discount on first treatment for members of Trec Ireland.

For further information, check their website, www.inmi.ie, or facebook page https://www.facebook.com/INMI-192536320930784/timeline/
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Uisce Saddlery are very kindly sponsoring the team class. The winning team over the 3 PTV Championship classes will win beauiful hand-stitched browbands.

Elaine Waters, of Uisce Saddlery, is a qualified bridle and harness maker, specialising in custom-made, hand-stitched bridles, belts and leatherwork. All bridles are hand-cut and hand-stitched using the best quality English bridle leather and metalwork. Each piece is made to order, allowing her to cater to your individual requirements. She has a particular love for celtic and baroque designs.

This year Elaine opened a shop in Dingle where you can see her at work and admire her beautiful designs. In 2009, at the RDS National Craft Awards, Elaine was the winner in the Leatherwork Category.

You can see all the wonderful things she has to offer on her website http://www.uiscesaddlery.com/
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The Versatile TREC competition is being generously sponsored by Tara Equestrian.

Tara Equestrian is a very successful business run by Eugene Reid in the Kilcullen Industrial Estate, Kilcullen, Co Kildare. Eugene makes rugs to order, so an exact fit is ensured for your horse. His rugs are of a high quality and are very durable. Every type of rug is available. Tara Equestrian also specialises in rug wash and repair, tack repairs, and zips can be repaired or replaced in boots and chaps. Tara Equestrian has a Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/Tara-equestrian-kilcullen-27756703… or https://www.facebook.com/tara.equestrian) and Eugene can be contacted on 086 8451697 or reideugene@gmail.com.

Eugene is offering the following prizes for the Open, Novice and Junior Versatile TREC:

1st prize: Light Turnout Rug
2nd prize: Fleece Rug
3rd prize: Tara Equestrian Voucher
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The Field Equestrian Centre are very kindly sponsoring the Non-Championship PTV classes.

The Field Equestrian Centre, situated in Ballyadams, Co. Laois, is a fantastic venue with some of the best x-country facilitates in the country. It is currently open for schooling sessions, and with such a huge range of obstacles, and such great facilities they have a continuous flow of horse and riders coming in daily. From some of Ireland's best known event riders to Pony Clubs to endurance riders, this facility is suited to all types of riders from all disciplines and has become a huge success.

Robert Owens, from The Field Equestrian Centre, is providing vouchers for Frontier Saddlery to top placed competitors in the three PTV classes, and in addition to these generous prizes he is also giving vouchers for use of his incredible x-country course.

You can visit their Facebook page to get a taste of what they have to offer and see many recognisable names who keep returning to school at this great place!

https://www.facebook.com/TheField-EquestrianCentre-9382890…/
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There are also 4 fantastic perpetual trophies which will be awarded to the winners of each of the Championship classes.

Open PTV: The Coolroe Gold Perpetual Trophy (sponsored by Leinster TREC)
Intermediate PTV: The Fastnet Perpetual Trophy (sponsored by West Cork TREC)
Novice PTV: The Tara Perpetual Shield (sponsored by Kerry TREC)
MA: The McSwiggan Perpetual Trophy (sponsored by Turas TREC)

As well as this, prizes for Champion and Reserve Champion in each of these classes have been sponsored by TheField EquestrianCentre, Ballinagappa House Stables, Saoirse Saddleryand Quinns of Baltinglass Ltd. The Champion will receive an embroidered cooler, and the Reserve Champion will receive a saddlecloth.

Please find the event schedule as follows:

Spirits were high on Friday, 11th September, as a horde of excited Leinster Treccies descended on the Dingle Peninsula in Co Kerry for the TREC Ireland National Championships, hosted by Kerry TREC.  

Lured there by wonderful photographs of the world famous beautiful scenery, expectations were high that the POR route would include spectacular views and riders were not disappointed.   The quiet roads and tracks wound their way up and down mountains, along the cliff tops of Dingle Bay and through the farmlands and valleys of the local area, all the time allowing riders to enjoy the incredible scenery throughout the peninsula. Even the weather co-operated with crystal clear views to be seen and the sun and light fresh breeze were perfect for the POR throughout the day.

And Lady Luck held again for the forecasted rain on Sunday to stay off just long enough for the CoP and PTV to be completed, in the soft turf and grassy fields of Longs Trekking Centre in Ventry.   As usual with the PTV, fortunes rose and fell along with the Low Branches and the On Foot Immobility, both of which turned out to be really testing obstacles but the Trailer Obstacle, not often used on PTV, was generally done well, as was the Corridor.

And at the end of the day (rapidly becoming like a tropical monsoon!), Leinster Treccies did brilliantly and had some great results – well done to all!

And many thanks to Kerry TREC who did provided everyone with great hospitality and a wonderful setting for the National Championships.

Level 3 Pairs:    1st  – Niamh O’Huid and Celia Taylor
Level 2 Pairs:    2nd – Liz Burbage and Vicki McMullen
                          3rd – Louise Parkhill and Sophie Sauveroche
                          6th – Paula Donoghoe and Marie Gallagher
Level 2 Indiv:    3rd – Rosemarie Bryson
                         4th – Trish Young
Level 1 Pairs:    2nd – Susanne O’Rourke and Natasha O’Rourke
Junior Champion: Vicki McMullen
Best PTV Level 1 – Susanne O’Rourke
Veteran class: 2nd – Diana O’Huid

Massive congratulations to the six Irish riders who successfully completed the TREC GB Championships 2015 in Scotland. All six riders passed vetting, finished the POR and competed in the MA and PTV phases. A fantastic weekend was had by all with huge laughs, lessons learnt and plenty of wine and cheese provided by the wonderful support group who came over on the blue mini bus.

The riders were part of the first ever TREC GB Championships and were rewarded with a straight-forward POR route but which included challenging tickets alongside some wonderful scenery which involved steep inclines through forest, long bridges across motorways and scenic roads around reservoirs. The grassy MA rpoved a challenge for some as it curved around a show jumping course and some horses had never experienced the 'buzz' of a starter machine! Finally, the thrill of the PTV: a 4.2km course up and down some steep inclines and around acres of corn fields. Ridden and in-hand obstacles presented themselves to eager riders, and even an in-hand low branches!

All in all a fabulous weekend, excellently organised and executed by the GB group and safe, fun and challenging for all involved. Until next year....!!!!