Photo courtesy of Louise O'Brien Photography
DRESSAGE
Many centres run their own dressage shows but Dressage Ireland, an affiliate of Horse Sport Ireland, is the governing body in Ireland – www.dressageireland.ie.
There are seven regions:
- Leinster
- Eastern
- South East
- Midland and Western
- North Munster
- South Munster
- Northern
Each region runs shows during the year with classes from Preliminary to Grand Prix. These also provide qualification for the annual Winter and Summer National Championships. They also offer different categories of membership, such as the Sportsman category, which is aimed at non-professional riders who do not derive their income from equestrian training or coaching. It is possible to enter Dressage Ireland competitions using temporary or day membership, which allows non-members to take part once they pay a small additional fee for the day.
Combined training (a dressage test and non-technical showjumping round) is another opportunity for introducing ex-racehorses to competition.
Rose Ahern O’Gorman is a registered British Horse Society Accredited Professional Coach and trains riders for the showring and in flatwork and dressage. She can be contacted on 086 3437864 or email: roseahern@gmail.com.
