23 February 2023 - Flipbook - Page 61
HORSEWEEK
Kathy Conly
on the ground - the
breeze caught the
banner and made
the shadow move.
Kirsten was bucked
off her horse and
‘Ellie’ turned on a
sixpence, leaving
Kathy on the ground!
She was eventually
caught two elds
away. Two ILDRA
members, helped by
two Scotch riders,
crewed and vetted
the mares for the
pair. Kathy rode
‘Ellie’ for a number
of years, until her
two granddaughters,
who had started to
do Endurance, took
over and Kirsten and
Kathy were relegated
to crewing for them!
Kathy took up the
position as Secretary
for ILDRA in 1998
and she still enjoys
doing it. She also still
attends most of the
Ulster branch rides,
as well as organising
and running some of
the rides along with
her family!
Kathy’s incredible
help and support has
been acknowledged
over the years
through various
awards that she
has received,
including the Windy
Ridge award for
her dedication
and commitment
to ILDRA in 2003
and, most recently,
her granddaughter
Hannah Catterall,
who was Chef
d’Equipe for the Irish
team at the Home
International and
Celtic Challenge
(HICC) at the Red
Dragon Festival of
Endurance in Wales
in October 2019,
presented Kathy
with a rosette for
her hard work and
support at the HICC.
Kathy’s
granddaughters,
Hannah and
Robyn Catterall,
have followed in
her equestrian
footsteps - both
are accomplished
endurance riders, as
well as showing with
great success and
taking up side saddle
in the past few
years. In fact, Robyn
is a side saddle
instructor!
SUPPORT: Kathy is a great supporter of her granddaughters, Hannah
and Robyn Catterall, who are both accomplished endurance riders, as
well as taking up side saddle more recently. Robyn is pictured on ‘Arctic
Eclipse’ at the National Side Saddle Show in 2019, accompanied by
Kathy, sister Hannah and mum, Kirsten. (FW19-519NN)
When asked
about her view on
endurance in Ireland
today, Kathy says
that she can never
see it become an
FEI discipline here:
“The cost to run an
FEI ride is very high,
given that we have
to bring in some of
the ofcials in from
other countries. We
do not have venues
with bridlepaths
and vast acres of
forest and moorland
to run the longer
rides (as they do on
the mainland), but
ILDRA do run some
spectacular rides in
forests and private
estates. Any rider
can come and do a
pleasure ride up to
20 miles or, if you are
a member and like a
challenge, ride the
competitive rides,
where you have to
pass the vet and
pace yourself and
your horse to do the
mileage in a set time.
It is great fun!” Kathy
continued.
“There is so much
to choose from now
as most equestrian
centres hold
competitions every
weekend and we nd
that children do not
seem as keen (to try
endurance) as they
were when we rst
started ILDRA.”
Kathy is keen to
encourage everyone
to give endurance
a try, as it can
be enjoyable for
everyone from
nervous riders
LUNGING: Kathy teaching Robyn how to lunge
back about 2003. (FW19-514NN)
wishing to get their
horse out and about
to event riders
wishing to enhance
their horse’s tness.
ILDRA hopes that
their St. Patrick’s
Coast Endurance
Ride will be able
to go ahead on
September 5
this year, if this
virus clears up
and government
guidelines permit.
It is once again set
to run from the
fantastic setting
of Downpatrick
Racecourse
and hosts both
Pleasure Rides and
Competitive Trail
Rides, so there will
be something for
everyone!
PRIZE GIVING: Kathy received the Windy Ridge
award for her dedication and commitment to
ILDRA in 2003. (FW19-511NN)
TREAT: Kathy gives a treat to ‘Ben’, a horse
that was gifted to the family when a friend
died. ‘Ben’ died recently and would have been
in his late 20s. (FW19-518NN)
CREW: Kathy crewing for granddaughter
Hannah on ‘Miss Elle’ in their bronze final.
(FW19-515NN)
FARMWEEK
MAY 07 2020
61
LOCKDOWN DIARY - WEEK SIX
HORSES: I have enjoyed the sunshine and being surrounded by my horses.
(FW19-521NN)
By Bree Rutledge
SIX weeks into lockdown and it is beginning
to look like there is light at the end of the
tunnel... Still quite distant, but light all the
same.
I have now weaned my horses onto the
grass full-time, so I am enjoying a break
from mucking out for the time being! I
was running up and down with buckets of
water for several days, as the automatic
drinker wasn’t accessible from the field the
horses are in. Just to make sure he didn’t
get bored, I asked my husband if he could
extend the pipework and move the drinker
into their field. He disconnected it, which
gave me the opportunity to give it a good
scrub, and moved it to where the horses
could access it. This has been another time
saver for me - although, it has to be said
that carrying buckets of water down the field
was a rather good workout... My biceps may
miss out, but I’m sure I will manage!
I have been working my way through
laundry piles - both domestic and equine
- and, thanks to the lovely weather, I have
managed to wash and dry a number of
saddle cloths, small rugs and boots. It is
very satisfying to see everything nice and
clean and ready to go for when we are all
FIRE-BREATHING DRAGON: I didn’t
see the very scary fire-breathing dragon
perched on the water pipe, but ‘Jewel’
certainly did! (FW19-522NN)
CALM: I rode ‘Jewel’ back and forth over
the pipe until she walked calmly over it.
(FW19-523NN)
SPRING CLEAN: ‘Jewel’ sporting her
freshly laundered summer sheet.
(FW19-524NN)
able to get out and about again - although
no doubt it will all need washed again before
too long!
I am continuing to ride ‘Jewel’ in the field,
but I encountered a couple of obstacles this
week... Firstly, my other two horses were in
the adjoining field, which created an initial
burst of excitement and frantic whinnying
from ‘Gem’ when I rode ‘Jewel’ through the
gate! I momentarily wondered how things
would pan out... but quickly encountered my
second obstacle, which took my mind off
the first. The additional blue water pipe to
extend the automatic drinker was across our
path and, to get into the field I normally ride
in, I had to ride over it.
I didn’t see the very scary fire-breathing
dragon perched on the pipe, but ‘Jewel’
certainly did! She approached the pipe
with great disdain, prancing and snorting
like a mare possessed. I got her within a
stride of the pipe and she tried to back up,
still snorting, as if to ask ‘do you not see
the dragon?!’. Laughing to myself at her
reaction, I kept my leg on and she moved
from one front leg to the other, still not
convinced that the dragon wouldn’t get her
if she stepped forward. Another squeeze
and she bounded over the pipe, shooting
forward into the other field. I immediately
turned her round and rode her back and
forth over the pipe until she walked calmly
over it... Eh, what was that about chestnut
mares?
I then wondered how she would behave
riding up and down along the boundary
fence with the other horses on the other
side and past the drinker, which wasn’t
there last time. After an initial whinny or
two from ‘Gem’, both (chestnut!) mares
settled as if butter wouldn’t melt! No more
excitement, which meant I could get down
to the business of exercising, enjoying
the sunshine and being surrounded by my
horses. As much as I miss getting out to
lessons and competitions, I am so grateful
to have the time (and the weather) to make
the most of my equines.
Next on my agenda is some serious tack
cleaning, so that my saddle and bridle will
match my nice clean saddle cloths... but I
think that will wait until next week!