Rachel Dowley
Equestrian Contributor
The new year got off to a busy start for TCD’s equestrian club, with the first competition taking place on the 3rd of February. Trinity played host this year, at the Bloomer family’s Brennanstown Riding School in Bray, to the annual Colours contest between TCD, UCD and UCD vets.
Trinity made a strong start in the dressage competition, with every member of their two teams making it through to the individual section. Fresher Rachel Dowley went on to the third round, eventually placing second to UCD’s Katie Nolan, while her team mates Melanie Young and Camilla Driver were third and fourth respectively. This domination of the individual standings saw Trinity take the victory in the team competition.
The same luck did not accompany any of Trinity’s three teams in the show jumping section, but the prix caprilli team of Renisha Bose, Joseph Eiffe and Aine Tubridy emerged as winners of their section.
Colours provided a convenient preparation for the National Equestrian Intervarsities, held three weeks later by UCD, at the Glynn family’s Kilossery Lodge in Swords. Trinity’s dressage team of Camilla Driver, Isabelle Cairns and club captain Ellie Carty were the first of our members to take to the arena, and it was a successful start as both Camilla and Isabelle qualified for the second round.
The next team up consisted of senior member Anthony Byrne and freshers Rachel Dowley and Melanie Young. Melanie also made it through to the next round, and the team finished up with the Trinity’s only team podium finish, in third place behind UCD and eventual winners DIT.
Riding as an individual on a mixed team, nursing student Laura Doyle completed Trinity’s quartet in the second round, but despite some polished performances, only Melanie Young went forward to the third of four rounds. She achieved the highest individual placing of any TCD student, with another third place.
Melanie’s successful weekend was completed by the Irish University Riding Club Association’s announcement of this year’s international squad, of which she is now a member and the sole representative of Trinity.
Unfortunately, in the show jumping competition neither the team of Katie Finegan, Clementine Yost and Katie Weldon, nor the team of Sari Coakley, Corinne O Ruairc and Hugh Weldon achieved a top six result. However, club secretary Katie Weldon did qualify for the second round, and others were unfortunate not to do so. This competition was eventually won by RCSI, capably lead by individual victor Alan O Regan.
The weekend culminated with the announcement of the overall champions at the prize-giving on Sunday night, held at the Carlton Tyrellstown, which hosted all the competitors for the weekend. Organisers UCD took home the title, deserved recompense for their hard work, with Trinity managing a very respectable sixth place in the final standings.
