Due to the atrocious weather conditions and widespread flooding, The Northern Ireland Carriage Drivers' Association has relocated the Northern Ireland Carriage Driving Championships to be held from August 22 to 24 from Necarne to Tyrella.
Event organiser Lewis Black declared that "rain will definitely not stop play this year as this competition is the highlight of the horse driving trial calendar and an important qualifying event".
In addition to being the Club Championships, the eve
nt is a Novice and Intermediate Class Qualifier for the National BHDTA Championships at Windsor in September for horses and ponies, plus the FEI have declared that dressage scores will be accepted as qualification for the World Combined Pony Championships 2009 and World Championships for Horse Pairs 2009.
Moving the event of this calibre has been an organisers' nightmare.
Huge efforts have and are still being made by everyone involved, but the man of the moment is definitely Billy McCombe, event organiser and BHDTA National Course Designer. Billy has worked from dawn until dusk at Tyrella to design a championship course of national standard.
Last Saturday, helpers worked throughout the day at Tyrella in atrocious conditions to build the obstacles then braved the floods in the South Down area to get home only to return on Sunday for another dose.
Sincere thanks to all the helpers, they know who they are. All credit to heroine Ann Lyons who has been quietly organising everything else that makes an event run smoothly and to see that International Judges Andrew Counsel (England) and Hon. Sarah Mullins (Ireland) are looked after.
Dressage will take place this on Friday, marathon and obstacles on Saturday and cones on Sunday morning this weekend.
A dinner dance and prize-giving will be held at The Mill, Ballydugan, on Saturday evening.
Admission is by ticket only from Ann Lyons at Tyrella or by calling 3888 29290.
The full article contains 316 words and appears in n/a newspaper.
