23 February 2023 - Flipbook - Page 75
HORSEWEEK
FARMWEEK
FEBRUARY 23 2023
75
Valentine’s Dressage Show success
for Causeway and Glens club
C
AUSEWAY and Glens Riding Club
were delighted with the turnout for
their recent Valentine’s Dressage
Show. Teas, coffees with delicious
shortbread and cupcakes from local
bakery Jars helped the club to raise just
over £100 in donations for the DEC TurkeySyria Earthquake Appeal. Just over 30
combinations trotted down the centre line,
under the watchful eyes of Lucinda Webb, the
judge for the day and scribe, Joanne Lyons.
It was Una Kearney with the lovely ‘Tessa’,
who took the top place in class 1 riding
BD Intro A. Nikita Noonan with ‘Apple Pie’
took second and Sammy Workman with the
beautiful ‘Duchess of Mullaghboy’ finished a
close third.
Daryl McKinney with the ever-consistent
‘Ballylin Ben’ took top honours in the next
DRESSAGE DOUBLE: Deborah Allen took the
win in both the Prelim 12 and Novice classes
at the Causeway and Glens Riding Club
Valentine’s Dressage Show. (FW08-587NN)
INTRO: Sammy Workman on ‘Duchess of
Mullaghboy’ finished third in the Intro class
at the Causeway and Glens Riding Club
Valentine’s Dressage Show. (FW08-590NN)
A
horse, who suffered horrific
injuries after he was cruelly
set alight, has been found
a loving new home thanks to two
charities.
Grainy CCTV footage documents
the moment ‘Pilgrim’s’ life changed
forever, and it makes for very
distressing viewing. Two figures,
their identities obscured by hoods,
pour flammable liquid over an
innocent horse tied to the railings of
a garden, and set him alight during
SET ALIGHT: Flammable liquid was
poured over ‘Pilgrim’ when he was
only two years old and then set
alight. (FW08-592NN)
PICTURE: courtesy of DSPCA
ATTACK: ‘Pilgrim’s’ flank and
hindquarters were also burnt in the
attack. (FW08-594NN)
PICTURE: courtesy of DSPCA
class, riding BD Elementary 44 and Jayne
Woodward with ‘Boycie’ secured second
place.
Isobel Bell with ‘Mercy’ took a well deserved
win riding BD Prelim 1 and Jo McCartney with
the stunning Connemara ‘Owenbuoy Blue
Reuben’ was in second place, with Shelagh
Canty on ‘Henry of Dallas’ very close behind
in third place.
‘Rose of Gethsemane’ ridden by Deborah
Allen had a successful day, taking the win in
both class 3 riding BD Prelim 12 and class 4
riding BD Novice 28. Jayne Robinson with
‘Colourado Kid’ took a close second place in
class 3, with Janene Gamble placing third.
Diane O’Donovan with ‘Clarouse’ was close
behind Deborah in class 4, taking second
place; with Katlyn McFadden and ‘Sam’
claiming third.
The organisers would like to thank everyone
who supported the show and are grateful
for their donations to the DEC Turkey-Syria
Earthquake Appeal. Thanks go to Lucinda
Webb for her time judging and to Joanne
Lyons, her scribe. To everyone who lent a
hand on the day and to those who set up the
arena the evening before, organisers are very
grateful!
The next show run by the club will be
Schools’ Show jumping, including a Balmoral
Open Teams qualifier at Eglinton Equestrian
Centre on March 11. This will be followed by
a Working Hunter show on March 18 at Dirraw
Farm Equestrian, Finvoy. All information
can be found on facebook and Instagram, all
entries can be made via the website: www.
causewayglensridingclub.com.
RESULTS
Valentine’s Dressage Show
Class 1 BD Intro A: 1) Una Kearney, Tessa;
2) Nikita Noonan, Apple Pie; 3) Sammy
Workman, Duchess of Mullaghboy.
Class 2 BD Prelim 1: 1) Isobel Bell, Mercy;
2) Jo McCartney, Owenboy Blue Reuben; 3)
Shelagh Canty, Henry of Dallas.
Class 3 BD Prelim 12: 1) Deborah Allen,
Rose of Gethsemane; 2) Jayne Robinson,
Colourado Kid; 3) Janene Gamble, Braeview
Little Lion Man.
Class 4 BD Novice 28: 1) Deborah Allen,
Rose of Gethsemane; 2) Diane O’Donovan,
Clarouse; 3) Katlyn McFadden, Sam.
Class 5 BD Elementary 44: 1) Daryl
McKinney, Ballylin Ben; 2) Jayne Woodward,
Boycie.
BLUE RIBBON: Diane O’Donovan and friends
celebrating her second place in the Novice
class at the Causeway and Glens Riding Club
Valentine’s Dressage Show. (FW08-588NN)
HAPPY: Right, Janene Gamble was happy with
her third place in the Prelim 12 class at the
Causeway and Glens Riding Club Valentine’s
Dressage Show. (FW08-589NN)
Loving new home for horse who was cruelly set alight during fight
a fight.
In a matter of moments, the
undeserving and wholly innocent
‘Pilgrim’ - aged just two years at
the time - became a victim of truly
horrendous suffering. His face, ear,
neck, flank and hind quarters all
suffered horrific burns.
But now, two years on, ‘Pilgrim’ is
not only safe from harm, but he is
loved, thanks to Dublin Society for
the Protection of Animals (DSPCA)
and Blue Cross.
Claire Owens, Equine Welfare and
Rehoming Manager at the DSPCA,
contacted Blue Cross to find a home
for ‘Pilgrim’, who they had taken in
and rehabilitated.
Claire was one of the first to
meet ‘Pilgrim’ when the charity’s
inspectors - who operate similarly
to RSPCA inspectors in England and
Wales - brought the injured horse to
the DSPCA shelter. She remembers:
“His head was very, very swollen
and he was just completely shut
down.”
The DSPCA veterinary team
worked closely with equine vet
specialists from the University
College Dublin veterinary hospital
to help manage his wounds, due to
their complexity.
Treating
his
wounds
with
medicated cream was stressful for
‘Pilgrim’ - he must have found it
so painful - but Claire discovered
he loved to be groomed on his
unaffected side and used this to
gain his confidence. Slowly but
surely, and with Claire’s tenderness
and care, ‘Pilgrim’ began to trust
humans.
Claire says: “He’s a horse that
taught me an awful lot of patience,
and his saving grace was his love
of people and, despite the burns,
NEW HOME: ‘Pilgrim’ at his new
home in Oxfordshire. (FW08-595NN)
PICTURE: courtesy of Steve Bardens
he loved being groomed, where it
wasn’t sore. That’s how I taught
him to stand, and was able to get a
headcollar on; I just did that basic
handling.”
‘Pilgrim’ travelled over to Blue
Cross’s rehoming centre in Burford,
Oxfordshire, where the charity’s
dedicated rehoming team continued
his rehabilitation and began the
search for his new home.
SAFE: Two years on, ‘Pilgrim’ is not
only safe from harm, but he is loved,
thanks to Dublin Society for the
Protection of Animals (DSPCA) and
Blue Cross. (FW08-593NN)
PICTURE: courtesy of DSPCA
HEALED: ‘Pilgrim’, pictured at his
new home. His burns, no longer
painful, have turned to scars that
only hint at his sad beginning, and
he is happy. (FW08-596NN)
PICTURE: courtesy of Steve Bardens
Now ‘Pilgrim’ has found sanctuary
with new owner, Carol.
His burns, no longer painful, have
turned to scars that only hint at
his sad beginning, and he is happy.
Part of a five-strong herd of rescue
ponies, ‘Pilgrim’ is free to enjoy a
carefree life.
Carol says: “A four-year-old with
his kind of medical history, which
means that he might never be able
to do anything else in his life, needs
a secure home, I think. I thought it
would suit him to come here, where
there was never going to be any
pressure for him to do anything
other than be a horse and be happy,
which hopefully is what we’ve
achieved.”
Thinking back to his arrival
from Blue Cross, Carol remembers
thinking he was more confident
than she had anticipated, but,
having been in his home for six
months, she has noticed a change in
his behaviour. He is more relaxed,
less fidgety, and seems truly at
home. Carol had been wondering
if he would show signs of having
gone through trauma in the past,
but none have emerged. ‘Pilgrim’ is
remarkable.
Carol says: “How could you not fall
in love with him? I mean, he’s just
gorgeous, isn’t he? He’s got such
a lovely, open, forgiving nature,
despite what’s happened to him.
Also, his story made me think it’d be
right to take him on because ponies
can come here, and I just want them
to live as naturally as possible. I
don’t necessarily want them to do
anything else.
“They already do a job for me by
coming here and being themselves,
and getting me outside, exercising
and spending time getting to know
them. They heal us really!”
And now, Carol is encouraging
others to take on a rescue animal.
She recommends keeping an open
mind, being patient, and speaking to
others with experience of behaviour
management; particularly if the
animal has had a traumatic past.
Carol says: “Most of all, definitely
do it! What it brings is incredible.”
Jennifer Hubbard, Horse Welfare
Coordinator at Blue Cross, said:
“We were horrified when we heard
‘Pilgrim’s’ story and we didn’t quite
know what to expect when he
arrived in our care, but he was such
a gentle horse. We were able to help
him recover and find him a home
where we knew he would be loved
and safe.
“We were so happy to find Carol
and it’s wonderful to see how much
‘Pilgrim’ has grown in his new home
and to see him getting on with the
other horses, he clearly knows he is
in his forever home.”