THE Camelot awards, which annually acknowledge the achievements of members of the West Leinster Region of the Association of Irish Riding Clubs following a vote of their peers, were presented recently at a very well-attended function in the Westgrove Hotel, Clane.

Ten Camelots were presented on the night, with that for club of the year going to Calliaghstown whose Lorraine O’Toole picked up the dressage horse of the year award, through her results on the 2006 mare Dolly The Pocket Rocket, while Mayah Sammon was crowned the most improved rider of the year.

Two clubs won a pair of Camelots apiece. Oakleaf’s Annie Rickard was presented with the secretary of the year award, while that for the young horse of 2024 went to Fiona Furey’s ex-racehorse Tourgar Raude, a 2009 Iffraaj gelding who ran six times on the flat without winning when trained by Henry de Bromhead.

Representing Rathangan, of which he is secretary, Francis Downes was presented with the unsung hero award, with club chairperson, Abbie Walker, picking up the Camelot for the newcomer horse of the year, the traditionally-bred Tomboy Blue, her 2020 gelding by Illaunurra Cathal.

A photograph of Downes riding Roses Sligo Candy graced the front page of the Irish Horse World following their RC100 win at the AIRC national eventing championships in September.

Rathangan were also the first recipients of the Mary Van Lonkhuyzen memorial perpetual cup, which they won through their results in the region’s autumn show jumping league. There were four members on the team at each show, but there was a squad of six comprising Walker, Downes, Sarah Kelly Drake, Emma Nugent, Caroline Collins Graham and Carolina Von Ow.

Annie O’Brien receiving secretary of the year from Dermot Kenny

Honour

Camelot awards were also presented to Greenhills’ Mia Browne, whose 2015 Honour Cruise mare Empress Nala won the title of show jumping horse of the year; to the dressage rider of the year, Sara Woods of Cill Dara; and to the show jumping equivalent, Killcarrick’s Willie Coughlan.

Each year at this function, a separate award, in honour of the late Linda Moore, is presented to someone who goes out of their way to help others and the winner on this occasion was the previously-mentioned Abbie Walker of Rathangan.

During the night, over 40 prizes were raffled in aid of Autism Assistance Dogs Ireland, while over last weekend, the West Leinster Region published the dates of their 2025 spring show jumping and dressage leagues.