The event is run under the auspices of the NI Carriage Driving Association by the Randalstown Carriage Driving Club. Sincere thanks must go to Chairman Eddie Ingram and his organising committee for yet again pulling off a fantastic event. The event was run to national standards with BHDTA panel judges Mary Bryson and Carol Boswell from Scotland. Bill Bryson (Scotland) judged the presentation section. Two dressage arenas were in operation on Saturday morning to speed up that part of the competition.
In the afternoon the cones course challenged turnouts with just four in the entire field achieving double clears. The course was long, used the entire arena and had a bridge to negotiate as well as a couple of sharp loop-backs.
Marathon day was Sunday, with the first turnout underway on the course just before mid-day. The route took competitors all around the Shanes Castle estate. The final part of the marathon section is seven obstacles to be driven. Planning a route through the obstacles is absolutely crucial to success. Here all the time and energy spent walking the obstacles over and over again since Friday comes to fruition during the 30 minutes approximately it takes to negotiate them.
Competition was fierce in all the classes as the marathon section can be the deciding factor in the overall competition. Carriage Driving Ireland turnouts took the ribbons in the Allsorts Class. Nine competitors thrashed it out in the popular novice pony class with Vicki Lyons from Donaghcloney coming out on top with "Rocky". The Lyon's family connection had further success, as son-in-law Andrew Shepherd won the open horse class. Tandragee based Roy Gamble made a comeback to carriage driving by coming third in the novice horse class. The Randalstown folk took the ribbons in the pony pair class in a tightly contested marathon section. Edwin Bryson continued his domination of the horse pair class with Bravo and Bravado.
Results:
Novice Pony: 1st, Vicki Lyons (McManus Hardware Perpetual Shield); 2nd, Poona McNally; 3rd, Judith Lyttle; 4th, Edith Crawford.
Novice Horse : 1st, Karen Garrett (T7 Honda Perpetual Trophy); 2nd, Dorothy Kelly; 3rd, Roy Gamble.
Intermediate Pony: 1st, Sinead McIntyre; 2nd, Julie Ingram.
Advanced Open Pony: 1st, Jackie Niblock (Gilligan Structural Perpetual Cup); 2nd, Grace Hurrell.
Open Horse: 1st, Andrew Shepherd (Centurian Systems Perpetual Cup); 2nd, Eric Glass; 3rd, Folke Rohrssen; 4th, Jim McCrea.
Pony Pairs: 1st, Eddie Ingram (Jimmy Logan Memorial Cup); 2nd, Terry Logan; 3rd, Noel Stewart.
Horse pairs: 1st, Edwin Bryson (Jim McKee Memorial Cup); 2nd, Ger Hennessy; 3rd, Sean Mulholland.
Allsorts Class: 1st, Edward Hughes (NFU Mutual Perpetual Cup); 2nd, Stephen Spillane; 3rd, Michelle Heddane; 4th, Dawn O'Donnell.
Best Overall Single Turnout – Vicki Lyons (RCDC Perpetual Cup).
Best Overall Multiples Turnout – Eddie Ingram (Michael Webb Perpetual Cup).
Horseware Ireland Best Turned Out Horse – Karen Garrett.
Horseware Ireland Best Turned Out Novice – Edward Goodwin.
Cecil Bunting Memorial Trophy for Best Marathon Score of the Day – Grace Hurrell.
NICDA extends sincere thanks once again to the O'Neill family for the use of Shanes Castle Estate, Randalstown Carriage driving Club and to all those who made the event possible.
Sponsorship and support are essential to running an event of this calibre, so NICDA and the Organising Committee of The Randalstown Carriage Driving Club would like to extend sincere thanks to all those who have given their support.
The next events in NICDAs calendar are Dungannon HDT on Saturday 9th August and the NI Carriage Driving Championships at Necarne 22nd –24th August.