Passing of Jack Lambert

THE great horseman and stallion master Jack Lambert from Grange, Killinick, County Wexford, sadly passed away this week. Jack was well-known in the equine and hunting world; he owned the prominent Irish Draught stallion Grange Bouncer and many others.

Jack was the beloved husband of the late Ann and loving father of Patricia, Richard, Kay, Ann, Tony, Clare and Jane, brother of Anna, Josephine and the late Nick and Mary. He will be sadly missed by his family, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, brother-in-law, grandchildren, nephews, nieces, cousins, relatives and friends.

For those wishing to honour his legacy, his funeral is being held on Monday, May 20th, at 12 noon at St Martin’s Church, Piercestown, followed by burial in Ballymore Cemetery.

A full appreciation will appear in an upcoming edition.

Abbott to leave AIRC after 21 years

DAVID Abbott, who has led the Association of Irish Riding Clubs for the past 21 years, is to step down from his role as Director General later this month.

“It’s time for ventures new after such a long time with the organisation as I’ll be embarking on a new role from next month. I’d like to thank everyone who helped me along the way, there’s far too many people to mention individually,” said Abbott.

Mr Abbott oversaw significant change within the Association over the years, including the introduction of the Association’s Membership Online portal which brought everything online; leading the project of transforming the grading system in conjunction with an advisory group, to broaden competition structures and give greater flexibility for members to compete at various levels within the Association, as well as introducing many new initiatives such as the Grassroots Jump Training Series in recent years.

During his tenure, the Association has accumulated significant reserves and is financially secure; Abbott secured significant funding of €170,000 for the Association through various support schemes in recent years.

Louise Duffy, chair of the Board of Directors said: “David has played an integral part in the development and success of the organisation over the past 21 years. Within his role, he has been a leader, mentor and a friend to many. He is an experienced professional, and a person of great integrity and will be very much missed by the Association. We wish David every success in his new endeavours.”

Grassroots Championships

announced

EVENTING Ireland has announced TRI Equestrian as the title sponsor for the Grassroots Championships, being held at Ballindenisk, Watergrasshill, from July 13th – 14th.

A long-standing supporter of Eventing, TRI Equestrian has committed to provide over €5,500 worth of prize vouchers to the top six Grassroots athletes in ALL the TRI Equestrian Grassroots Championships classes: EI100 Open, EI100, EI100P, EI100J, EI90, EI90P, EI80 and EI80P. These championships aim to give a platform for the incredible Grassroots members, those competing at EI80 to EI100, to compete against each other in their own Championship format.

This year sees the launch of a new EI100 Open class, for athletes competing on horses that have previously competed at EI110 or above with other riders. Anyone in their 12th year or upwards can compete, whether they’re a full or web only member!

Full details regarding eligibility requirements can be found on the Eventing Ireland website: www.eventingireland.com/grassroots

RDS Council voting reminder

READERS who are also members of The Royal Dublin Society are reminded that the election to the RDS Council is currently underway with voting due to close on Monday, May 27th.

The composition of the council will change this year from 36 members down to 12, and of those 12 only three are elected by members - the rest will be appointed.

The change will make it more difficult for nominees to become elected, making voting for a candidate that best represents your interests even more critical. RDS members who are eligible to vote should have received an email with details on how to cast their vote.

The Irish Field understands that the only nominee with a specific interest in the Dublin Horse Show is Flor Madden, current chairman of the equestrian committee, council member and foundation board member and trustee.