CastleMouse
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http://www.eventingireland.com/news/?action=detail&itemid=2091
Horse Sport Ireland has announced that another international event will take place in Ireland this year. Ballinacoola Horse Trials, voted last autumn by the members of Eventing Ireland as the best national one day event in the country, has announced that the event will be raised this summer to international status.
The Ballinacoola International Horse Trials will run in Co. Wicklow on 24th and 25th July, 2009 and will focus quite heavily upon the young horse. There will be a CIC** class limited to 6 and 7 year olds and a CIC* class limited to 5 & 6 year olds - the perfect preparatory event for the World Young Horse Championship at Le Lion d'Angers (France) in October. The CIC* 6 & 7 year old class will contain within it the Horseware National Young Irish Event Championship.
Commented Ballinacoola organiser Tim Philips: "The Irish event horse is recognised as the finest in the world and Irish event horses dominate the world rankings. What we seek to do at Ballinacoola is provide an opportunity to show case the very best young horses in the country over a spectacular course in one of the most beautiful valleys of County Wicklow."
But Ballinacoola will not be limited to just young horse classes - there will be a CIC** for 8 year olds and upwards and a CIC* class for
7 year olds and upwards. This is a much needed opportunity in the Irish eventing calendar for competitors and horses to obtain necessary FEI qualifications without having to travel to Britain and the continent. In addition the event will stage the Horseware 4 & 5 year old Pre-Novice Championship plus the usual Pre-Novice classes.
The CIC** class has been significantly improved as a result of grant from Horse Sport Ireland. There are ten new fences and the overall balance of the course has been changed; there are now only eight jumping efforts between the start and the highest point on the course, with a plethora of new jumps in the Ballinacoola Equestrian Park where spectators will be able to view about a third of all the jumping efforts.
Horse Sport Ireland Chairman Joe Walsh said that he was pleased that another international event would run in Ireland in 2009.
"This is a shot in the arm for Eventing. The focus on young horses is very innovative and provides a further opportunity for some of Ireland's most promising young horses to gain experience at international level," he said.
Tim Philips commented that running a new international event in this economic climate is a very tough call, with the availability of serious sponsorship very limited. Despite the clear financial difficulties, he sees this summer as a progression towards an aspiration to create a world class international CIC event to show case the young Irish horse.
The schedule for Ballinacoola is currently awaiting approval from the FEI but in the meantime, to assist riders planning their summer, the organisers have released a draft abridged unofficial schedule that sets out the plans for the event which will be run over two days with dressage and show jumping on Saturday 24 July and the cross country on Sunday 25 July. To view draft Schedule, please click link: Abridged Schedule
Competitors are offered superb overnight stabling and lorry park facilities, with Ballinacoola tying up with Marlton Stud, which is located on the edge of Wicklow Town and only some six miles from the event site. In the event that entries exceed the number whose dressage can be handled in a single day on the Saturday, the organisers say that, rather than balloting the CIC classes, they will invite competitors living closest to Ballinacoola to do their dressage and show jumping on the Friday - probably in the afternoon.
Horse Sport Ireland has announced that another international event will take place in Ireland this year. Ballinacoola Horse Trials, voted last autumn by the members of Eventing Ireland as the best national one day event in the country, has announced that the event will be raised this summer to international status.
The Ballinacoola International Horse Trials will run in Co. Wicklow on 24th and 25th July, 2009 and will focus quite heavily upon the young horse. There will be a CIC** class limited to 6 and 7 year olds and a CIC* class limited to 5 & 6 year olds - the perfect preparatory event for the World Young Horse Championship at Le Lion d'Angers (France) in October. The CIC* 6 & 7 year old class will contain within it the Horseware National Young Irish Event Championship.
Commented Ballinacoola organiser Tim Philips: "The Irish event horse is recognised as the finest in the world and Irish event horses dominate the world rankings. What we seek to do at Ballinacoola is provide an opportunity to show case the very best young horses in the country over a spectacular course in one of the most beautiful valleys of County Wicklow."
But Ballinacoola will not be limited to just young horse classes - there will be a CIC** for 8 year olds and upwards and a CIC* class for
7 year olds and upwards. This is a much needed opportunity in the Irish eventing calendar for competitors and horses to obtain necessary FEI qualifications without having to travel to Britain and the continent. In addition the event will stage the Horseware 4 & 5 year old Pre-Novice Championship plus the usual Pre-Novice classes.
The CIC** class has been significantly improved as a result of grant from Horse Sport Ireland. There are ten new fences and the overall balance of the course has been changed; there are now only eight jumping efforts between the start and the highest point on the course, with a plethora of new jumps in the Ballinacoola Equestrian Park where spectators will be able to view about a third of all the jumping efforts.
Horse Sport Ireland Chairman Joe Walsh said that he was pleased that another international event would run in Ireland in 2009.
"This is a shot in the arm for Eventing. The focus on young horses is very innovative and provides a further opportunity for some of Ireland's most promising young horses to gain experience at international level," he said.
Tim Philips commented that running a new international event in this economic climate is a very tough call, with the availability of serious sponsorship very limited. Despite the clear financial difficulties, he sees this summer as a progression towards an aspiration to create a world class international CIC event to show case the young Irish horse.
The schedule for Ballinacoola is currently awaiting approval from the FEI but in the meantime, to assist riders planning their summer, the organisers have released a draft abridged unofficial schedule that sets out the plans for the event which will be run over two days with dressage and show jumping on Saturday 24 July and the cross country on Sunday 25 July. To view draft Schedule, please click link: Abridged Schedule
Competitors are offered superb overnight stabling and lorry park facilities, with Ballinacoola tying up with Marlton Stud, which is located on the edge of Wicklow Town and only some six miles from the event site. In the event that entries exceed the number whose dressage can be handled in a single day on the Saturday, the organisers say that, rather than balloting the CIC classes, they will invite competitors living closest to Ballinacoola to do their dressage and show jumping on the Friday - probably in the afternoon.
