RIDERS from all over the country travelled to Castle Irvine, Necarne in Co Fermanagh last weekend for the first of three training camps, run in partnership by Dressage Ireland and Para Equestrian Ireland.

Among those who did so was Cassandra Morris, who featured in these pages last Saturday, following her recent double on the Dutch Warmblood gelding Lots Of Joy. Grade 5 rider Morris kindly devoted some of her time earlier this week to report on the weekend.

“The weather was glorious and a welcome reprieve from the wind and rain that seems to have plagued us these past couple of months. The sunshine added to the buoyant and friendly atmosphere of the camp at Castle Irvine, Necarne, where a lot of riders took advantage of the fantastic hacking facilities over the weekend.

“Fifty-eight able-bodied and four para riders of all ages and levels came together to train and get feedback from an impressive panel of experts. Each rider had two sessions each day – one lesson and one test riding session. The coaching panel comprised Irish Olympian Anna Merveldt, List 1 judge and FEI 3* eventing judge Joanne Jarden and BHS coach Mark Robinson.

“Lessons took place in the Walled Garden, the adjacent arena and the Rose Garden. The car park arena and the indoor were also in full use for the Elevate programme, which was run in tandem with the training camp. There, Fiona Hayes and Yvonne Chisholm worked with the youngest riders.

Lightbulb moments

“There were a lot of ‘lightbulb’ moments in the lessons and everyone felt they had made progress (though maybe not in the way they were initially thinking!). On Saturday evening, Dr Helen Spence treated riders to a fascinating talk on equine behaviour upstairs in the bar area, which was open to all.

“List 1 judge Mark Ruddock, List 2 and FEI 5* Para judge Sarah Rogers and List 4 judge Jean Halpenny all had the spectacular setting of the Walled Garden for the test riding sessions. Riders and judges had a great rapport, with plenty of laughter and banter in the sunshine. To get real time feedback as you ride through a test and learn how you can improve your marks is something that cannot be underestimated.

“Also on site for the weekend was Clare-Maria Currie, a chartered physiotherapist, who worked with the Irish eventing team at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. All riders were offered the opportunity to have a private session, the para riders’ sessions being kindly sponsored by Para Equestrian Ireland.

“Clare-Maria offers Indiba treatments, a non-invasive therapy that uses radio frequency technology to accelerate recovery of injuries and treat chronic conditions; personally, I find myself moving freer and feeling refreshed after a session. She also ran rider balance sessions during lunch for senior riders on Saturday and Elevate riders on Sunday. These sessions incorporated balance boards, Swiss balls, resistance bands and pre-ride warm-up exercises, with riders embracing the chance to test their balance and strength, all whilst encouraging each other.

“Riders came away feeling positive and invigorated by this great initiative, which promotes an all-round approach to training in a fun and encouraging environment, with many looking forward to the next training camp in Ballindenisk over the weekend of June 29th and 30th.”