SOME 21 athletes travelled to Castle Irvine to participate in a three-day “boot camp” as part of the SJI (ShowJumping Ireland) National Training Bursary Clinic at the end of August.

These athletes had previously competed for a spot in the clinic during a selection day held earlier this year at Tipperary Equestrian Centre. Susanne Macken conducted the training sessions, putting the participants through rigorous exercises. The selection process heavily weighed the athletes’ commitment, assessed through interviews, matched with a strong desire among them to benefit from the coaching and opportunities offered by the clinic.

As in previous years, the clinic was jam-packed with coaching, lectures and team-building exercises. Athletes were up at 6am in preparation for coaching sessions at 8am and continued until 10pm, with lectures and fun interspersed throughout the day. A huge part of the ethos of the clinic was hard work, team-building and fun. The team-building has developed over the years, with team challenges, quizzes, stable management, horse care and timekeeping all being scored every day.

Some of Ireland’s best and most dedicated coaches were in attendance - Ian Fearon, Marie Burke, Cormac Rafferty, Gerald Bloomer, Anna Dangerfield, Laura Brown McCann and the newest addition, course designer Alan Lynch. During the boot camp at Castle Irvine, athletes participated in five high-quality training sessions each day.

At the conclusion of the clinic, each athlete received a booklet containing articles submitted by the coaches. These articles provided valuable content, including grids that were practiced during the clinic, as well as advice and information to aid the athletes in their training and development. The booklet serves as a comprehensive resource for the athletes to refer to, even after the clinic ends.

Insight

Maeve Coffey, Lauren Quinn and Oisin Hogg, the most improved and most engaged riders at the ShowJumping Ireland National Training Bursary Clinic held at Castle Irvine

Every year, the clinic endeavours to include new elements for the athletes. This year, organisers were delighted to host a lecture from Barry O’Connor, who was a huge hit with the athletes. The topic “Starting a business and sustaining a career in the sport” gave athletes practical, down to earth advice and insights.

Joanne Hurley from Gain gave a wonderful presentation on animal nutrition, with handouts included in the booklet for further reference. Jacqueline Murphy from “A Head For Horses” gave a fun, but impactful lecture on the first night of the clinic and stayed on to assist athletes with breathing techniques.

The training committee works hard in the background to ensure smooth running of the clinic. Tomas Ryan (Munster), Karen Boylan (Connaught), Rosemary Rice (Leinster), Sharon Conlon (Ulster) and Mary E Ryan (Chair), all made the journey to assist the athletes in having the experience of a lifetime.

Every year, there are a number of awards to be gained at the end of the clinic. A bucket of goodies was given to each and every athlete (and the coaches), which included goodies from TRI, Cian O’Connor, Bucas, Dapple, The Irish Field, Swish, Equieire, Aloga and Jumpinaction. Without the support and generosity of sponsors every year, the bursary clinic would not be able to award the prizes and recognition of excellence.

Speaking afterwards, coach Gerald Bloomer said: “The clinic is a fantastic initiative supporting talented young jumping riders from around the country. As a flatwork coach on this clinic, it was great to see such interest and commitment from all the riders to improving their horses’ way of going on the flat and over poles - and to see the benefits of this carry through to the jumping ring.

“It was an absolute pleasure to coach on this clinic and Necarne Castle provided the best possible facilities to work with these riders. Many thanks to all who attended and to the organisers, Mary Ryan and Rosemary Rice.”

Bursaries

The coveted Bursaries were awarded to:

Bursary to Darragh Kenny in Wellington, America: Alfie Adair

Bursary to Shane Sweetnam in Wellington, America: Olga Barry Murphy

Bursary to Barry O’Connor in Malahide: Jill Greene

Bursary to Jessica Burke, Arion Stud Hampshire, UK: Saoirse Hanafin