West Cork TREC Winter League
Leg 6 - PTV competition
Venue: Bantry Bay Pony Trekking, Hollyhill, Bantry, Co. Cork
Date: 08-04-2018

A bright and airy new indoor arena was the perfect setting for the final leg of our winter league. We had a very good turnout, and were delighted to welcome some new faces to our competition.  The day was dry too, a welcome change to the recent deluges, and riders were grateful to be able to stay dry while warming up in an outdoor arena and waiting for their turn.

Not everything went to plan though. A flat tyre on the horsebox at the yard delayed the chef de piste and company. Attempts to pump the tyre were unsuccessful so they had to unhitch and change boxes before setting off on their 40 mile journey to the event. Thanks to some quick thinking and modern technology, they were able to send a photo of the course layout ahead before they left Castletownbere so that members could begin building the course while they were still en route.

Once the course was complete, another 15 mins was allowed for the riders to walk the course. There were 8 obstacles to be done twice to make it up to a course of 16 obstacles.  The order for the day was Level 3 (Advanced), Level 1 (Novice), Level 2 (Intermediate).

The first Level 3 rider was called down from the practice arena, and it immediately became obvious the course was not as innocent as it looked. The spacing and positioning of some of the obstacles meant the riders had to be smart about their approach to the next obstacle, especially if they wanted to negotiate it at the higher gaits.  The second obstacle was the ridden corridor but a short approach meant many didn't attempt the canter needed to get full marks.  The fifth obstacle, the one-handed figure of eight tripped up some riders, and a few were caught out for not releasing the reins before the horse's front feet passed the entrance cones.  The in-hand footbridge was another obstacle giving trouble - while some horses trustingly followed their rider across, others were perhaps not quite so willing.

There were 22 entries in total across the 3 classes, though some of these were repeat rounds and marked out of competition accordingly. The results were announced about 15-20 mins after the last rider had completed the course, and rosettes for 1st to 3rd places for each level were handed out.  (Please see our Results page for details).

We would like to extend a huge thanks to Georgia and Andy Shiels of Bantry Bay Pony Trekking for the use of their lovely new arena, set very nicely on the hill overlooking the pond and cross-country course. We gratefully thank Bastian who, although was not able to attend the competition, transported some of the obstacles we needed to the venue the day beforehand. Last but not least, our thanks to the judges, competitors and all who attended making this a lovely day.

The TREC Ireland National MA/PTV Championships (2017) will be held on 22nd April 2018 at Clonshire Equestrian Centre, Adare, Co. Limerick.  This event is being hosted by West Cork TREC. Both TREC Ireland members and non-members may compete at the MA/PTV Championships.  The classes available are listed below.  Full details of the event, including entry form, entry fees, volunteer/helper form, plus a list of stabling and accommodation options can be found in the event schedule, which may be downloaded by clicking on the link here.  The closing date for entries is Friday 6th April 2018.

Championship Classes
(restricted to TREC Ireland members who have qualified or been nominated by their group)
Class 1:  MA Championships
Class 2:  Open PTV Championships  (Level 3 heights)
Class 3:  Intermediate PTV Championships (Level 2 heights)
Class 4:  Novice PTV Championships (Level 1 heights)

Non-Championship Classes
(for riders not competing in Championship Classes, open to both members and non-members)
Class 5:  Open PTV (Level 3 heights)
Class 6:  Intermediate PTV (Level 2 heights)
Class 7:  Novice PTV (Level 1 heights)

D-TREC Classes
(open to all riders both members and non-members)
Class 8:  Open D-TREC (Level 2 heights)
Class 9:  Intermediate D-TREC (Level 2 heights)
Class 10:  Novice D-TREC (Level 1 heights)

Speed TREC Classes
(restricted to riders who competed in Open PTV or Intermediate PTV, i.e. classes 2, 3, 5 & 6)
Class 11:  Open Speed TREC (Level 3 heights)
Class 12:  Intermediate Speed TREC (Level 2 heights)

Riders from the PTV Championship classes (classes 2, 3 and 4) may also be nominated for the Team PTV Championships.  Teams should consist of 3 or 4 riders (levels may be mixed in a team).  Best 3 scores will be added together – a team of 4 will have their lowest score discarded.  A group may nominate more than one team.

See you there!

A number of West Cork TREC senior riders, young riders, and members of their support crew travelled to Glengarriff to attend the TREC Ireland Judges Training Course on 14th January 2018.  There was a great mix of experience within the group; some who were using this course as a refresher training course and some who were attending a judges training course for the first time.  We would like to thank TREC Ireland, and especially West Cork TREC trainer, Bastian, for hosting this training course, and the two young riders who rode the PTV obstacles for the practical judging session.

The date for the rescheduled TREC Ireland National MA/PTV Championships (2017) has been set for 22nd April 2018 at Clonshire Equestrian Centre, Adare, Co. Limerick, and will be hosted by West Cork TREC.

The competition will be open to members and non-members, and will include PTV and D-TREC classes for novice (level 1), intermediate (level 2) and advanced (level 3) riders.  We are working on updating the schedule, but it is not yet ready to be sent out.  Only members may enter the classes listed as "championship" classes.  We will advise when the revised schedule becomes available.  Keep an eye out for news here and on the West Cork TREC and TREC Ireland Facebook pages.  If you would like to know more about the competition, please do not hesitate to contact us on Facebook or send us an email (a contact form is available on our Contact page).

Judges Training on Saturday, 5th August 2017 at Bastian’s, Crostera West, Glengarriff, Co. Cork.
Trainer: Gwen Bastian
Entry fees can be paid on the day.  Entry Fee: € 10 (free for guinea pigs)
Start 10.30am - Finish approx 3pm
Please bring your judges’ logbook, your own lunch and suitable outdoor wear.

​This training course is for International and National Judges and a refresher for all certified judges, but anyone who has not yet a certificate but has some judging experience can also attend the training. For more information and directions ask Bastian - let him know a.s.a.p. if you want to attend

To contact Bastian please phone landline 027 63180 or text mobile 085 766220 or send email to bastian@eircom.net

We are holding a fun ride this Easter Monday, April 17th 2017, to raise funds for our Young Riders who qualify for the European Championships.  Join us for a sociable ride along small country roads and boreens with sea views around the Lisheen area near Skibbereen (Lisheen is south of the Skibbereen to Ballydehob Road on the headland between Roaring Water Bay and The Ilen River).

The ride will be starting off from Lisheen Church at 12 noon and will stop at Minihan's Bar (just a few minutes walk away from where you started) for refreshments for both horse and rider before everyone heads home. There will be a couple of places along the route where you should be able to get a nice canter if you so wish.

There will be an entry fee as it is a fundraiser - €10 for TREC Ireland members, €17 for non-TREC Ireland members.​  Any other donations will be gratefully received.  Our thanks to Johanna for tracing the route and also for creating the poster below.

For those who are not able to attend the Fun Ride, there will be another fundraiser very soon.  We will be running a Treasure Hunt in the Mealagh Valley on Sunday 30th April (this will be on foot, not ridden).

To encourage riders to try TREC, and to help prevent anyone being put off giving TREC a go because they feel they'll need to buy new equipment for something they may only do once, TREC Ireland have issued a slightly reduced equipment list for Level 1 competitors at local competitions as follows:

• Hard hat complying with current standards
• Headcollar and leadrope or combination bridle
• Fluorescent/Reflective hi-viz clothing (minimum is clearly visible stripes on rider's torso)
• Medical armband
• Horse ID with rider’s and emergency phone no on tack
• Hoofpick
• Whistle
• Mobile phone

Once a rider has committed to TREC we can advise them on the best compass etc to buy.

​Please note the full TI equipment list from the rulebook will still apply to all levels at National Competitions.

If you have any queries regarding these guidelines please do not hesitate to contact a member of the TREC Ireland committee.

West Cork TREC will be holding their AGM at 6pm on Wednesday 4th January 2017 at the Glengarriff Golf Club.

Our current committee members will be stepping down, and we will be electing new members for 2017.  Adèle sent out an email to all our members before Christmas with both a proposal form (for suggesting who you would like to fill the various posts) and a proxy form (for those who cannot attend giving permission to another member to vote on your behalf).  Please fill out the relevant forms and send them back to Adèle before Monday 2nd January to give her time to collect everything together.  A member may decline any position if they do not wish to be considered for same before the voting proceeds.

The Golf Club will be opening the bar for drinks, and a number of members will be bringing us some delicious fare for us all to share.  Please let Adèle know if you will be able to bring something for the buffet.

Non-members are very welcome to come to our AGM, though they will not be able to vote in the committee selection.

On a separate issue, if you would like to see who won the Summer League which ended in October 2016, the Leader Board has finally been posted to our results page, with sincere apologies for the delay.

Exit from Bantry Town Square onto the N71 road towards Skibbereen/Cork .
 
After approx 4.2 km (2.6 miles) turn right onto the R591 (Durrus/Toormore/Goleen)
 
Continue along this road for 6.3km (3.9 miles) until you approach Durrus town.  As you drive through Durrus, bear left to stay on the R591 (road to Toormore/Goleen).

There is a narrow bridge just as you exit Durrus, but there is good visibility on both sides of the bridge.

Keep going straight along the R591 road for another 8.1 km (5 miles) until you reach the cross with the Cashelfean signpost (see photo - please note the road does not actually have the letters R591 painted on it). If it helps anyone, this cross is approx 1.6 km (1 mile) after the Dunbeacon Cross where you may have noticed the two milk churns on a wall in the lay-by).
 
Turn right onto this small road for 800m (0.5 miles), and bear left at the fork through the entrance onto the estate.  Keep going along this boreen until you reach the indoor and outdoor arena facilities.

We will be holding a D-TREC competition on Sunday November 6th and we have been given permission to use the superb indoor arena (measuring 23m x 60m) at Cashelane Stud in Cashelfean, Durrus.  This is a fantastic opportunity for us, and there is also a viewing area for spectators, so please come along and support this event.  

Closing date for entries is November 2nd.  We will need as many entries as we can get as the facility is quite expensive, but we think the venue is so worth it.

If you are still undecided whether or not to enter, we recommend you take a look at their Facebook page, Cashelane Stud.  Click on their photos section, and load up the album entitled Cashelane Stud and Farm to see some photos of the facility and the indoor arena.

Please note that the venue for the MA/PTV Championships 2016 has been changed.  This 1-day event will now be held in Deerpark Equestrian Centre, Ballymahon, Co. Longford.

This news has been a bit of a blow for some of our West Cork TREC members who had been looking forward to the event being held in north Cork and to not have to travel 320-360km (approx).  For those who use miles to gauge distances, that's approx 200-225 miles.  We hope that many members will still be able to attend at the new venue and we wish them every success.

West Cork TREC were well represented at this event last year between competitors and judges.  We had a very successful day, winning 5 events (the Open PTV Championship, the Intermediate PTV Championship, the PTV Team Championship, the Open X-TREC, and the Intro Versatile TREC) and being placed in 5 out of the other 8 events.  Our top rider was Annie O'Neill riding Templebready Poppy, who won 3 of the above events and was on the winning Team also.

The sea-fog that had been hanging over the south west for days was thinning slightly Sunday morning, and there was a faint glimmer of a disc up in the sky giving hope that the fog would actually lift during the day.
 
The plan was for everyone to meet at 11am at Billy Wolfe’s in Stouke.  Only five riders would start and Jo would be joining them at Pat’s.  Two of our young riders, Megan and Fionnuala, had decided to hack over to Billy’s from the north side of Ballydehob, so the two girls met up at 10.15am and proceeded from there to the rendezvous point.
 
With Sara there to see them all off, Adèle, Bastian, Margaret, Fionnuala and Megan set off on their journey, walking down through the fields of Billy’s farm to the Greenmount Road.  A few hundred yards later, they turned off Greenmount Road and went up the “Mass Track”.  This little off-road track cuts across John O’Mahony’s land and comes out on a small quiet road just below the Catholic Church in Ballydehob.  The riders would like to thank John for cutting overhanging branches and briars along the track for them, as it made the track a real pleasure to ride.
 
Continuing northwards through Ballydehob, the riders crossed the Main Street, went past the Protestant Church and continued on the Church Road for 500m before turning onto the Letter Road, heading towards the north east side of Mount Gabriel.  About halfway, the riders turned up left to go over the Letter pass, an off-road track that goes over the pass and joins the road from Derryconnell at the foot of the mountain on the south side.
 
Jill & Sara drove out from Schull to meet the riders at the bottom of the Letter Pass track and get a few photos.  The fog was indeed lifting, and there was the occasional glimpse of blue sky.  The riders then headed back in towards Schull, passing the Schull Resevoir, and turning left down Cooradarrigan.
 
Time for a welcome break!  The cavalcade arrived at Pat Connor’s house for refreshments.  Pat, Jo, John and Brendan were ready for us, and there was tea, coffee, water, apple tart, biscuits, crackers, cake, and apples on offer, with plenty of juicy grass and a few apples for the horses too.
 
Jo joined the group here for the return leg to Billy’s, as did dogs Sam and Toast.  The six riders departed for Coosheen, via Cadigan’s Strand.  Fionnuala took Chester in a little deeper than the others, but despite Megan following closely behind Apachi, Mazy just wouldn’t go in to the “strange moving water”.  The sun was breaking through the fog quite a bit by this time, and gazing out to sea you could see the top of Cape Clear rising up out of the fog.
 
Leaving the beach behind, it was only a short distance to the Schull entrance of the Butter Road.  Here the riders had a chance to have a lovely canter along the grassy track.  Stopping to cross a small road, and the second section of the Butter road track stretched out ahead of them, down into the dip and up the other side, where Jill was waiting to get some more photos.  Leaving Jill at the cross, riders continued on the tarmaced section of the Butter Road back towards Stouke.
 
Jill drove over to Stouke via the main road to get ahead of the riders.  Jo’s dog Toast was the first to arrive at Billy’s, running down the lane ahead of the riders, where May was getting read to put out a pot of tea, a jug of cold water and slices of her delicious brack for everyone (thank you May).  The two girls decided not to stay for refreshments as they still had to hack home, coming back for a brief moment very shortly afterwards to return Sam to Adèle, since he had trotted off down the lane following the horses as he always does.  After hosing down their horses and putting them away, the riders, Billy and Jill joined May for a chat and the tea before saying farewell and going their separate ways.
 
West Cork TREC would like to take this opportunity to thank Billy for letting us use his farm yet again for our outings around the Ballydehob and Schull area.  He is always very supportive of our events, and a helpful and knowledgable friend and ally, having grown up with horses in the yard all the time in his late father’s stud.

We have posted a few photos on the Gallery page, please click here to be redirected.

West Cork TREC was the host for the 2016 TREC Ireland National Championships. Held by kind permission of at Bantry Pony Trekking in the beautiful setting of Coomanore South, riders from Kerry, Leinster, Clare and Leitrim took part in a challenging three phase event.
​
There were 53 entries across the two days, most of whom competed on both days.  It is always a delight to see newcomers enter the competition, and this year was no exception. We introduced a special Level 1 Class for Under 16s, which allowed 7 of our U16 riders to enter their first three phase competition by going out in 2 groups with an adult rider accompanying each group as a non-competing supervisor.

From the moment the horse boxes started rolling in to Bantry on Friday, the TREC camaraderie was evident, with the experienced always willing to help the inexperienced set up corralling equipment and tents.  Friends greeted each other enthusiastically, and new friendships were formed before the weekend was out.  The TREC groups are dotted around the country, and for some it is a long way to West Cork, so we thank all those who made the trip.
 
Traceur Bastian’s route took riders over bogs, on quiet country lanes and due to the generosity of many local farmers, across some wonderful fields, tracks and past beauty points such as Lough Bofina and Kealkill’s stone circle.

West Cork TREC would like to extend a very warm thank you to all the land owners, without whom the true beauty of the area could not have been shown. The team at Bantry Pony Trekking provided a wonderful meal, with riders consulting that day’s scores and analyzing the route and checkpoint locations, figuring out where they may have lost precious points.

Sunday dawned with beautiful clear skies and sunshine and started early with a vet check for all horses. The Chilean vet declared all horses fit to compete, and the first riders started with the MA, (Control of Paces). The 150m corridor proved a decider in scores, with Sheila Winters scoring a fantastic 53 out of 60 to win top points in this phase. The obstacle course (PTV) built by Chef de Piste Bastian was next, a worthy Championship course with tight angles, jumps and tricky combinations. The undulating ground and hills had the beautiful Bantry Bay as a background with the sun shining down. Newcomer Lorea O’Sullivan, a young rider with the team from Lios Lara Riding Stables took first place in the PTV with a superb score of 148 out of 160 points.

Winners came from all groups and counties in Ireland, with a variety of breeds of horses and ponies. In the Level 1 it was mother-son combination Anne Marie and Ciaran Cronin that took the red ribbon, with Anne Marie also taking home the coveted Grangeclare Cup for her overall highest Level 1 scores. In Level 2 pairs, another mother-child combination, Liz Burbage and Vicky McMullan took 1st place, with Liz also winning Best Coloured horse and the Level 2 Grangeclare Cup. In the Individuals two Clare based riders fought it out for the win, with Kate Ryan Brouwer beating Finian Carroll to take home the red rosette. Mairead Moynihan maintained her overnight lead to win the Level 3 individual class, as well as the Level 3 highest overall score to win the Grangeclare Cup. In the Pairs class, Dede Clune and Kayleigh McCormack beat new to Level 3 Young Riders Fionnuala Solomon and Yasmin Roo Joyce- Nightingale. Kayleigh also had the highest PTV score in the Level 3, with a fantastic score of 139, a brilliant result for the Young Rider from Midlands TREC. Young Riders were extremely well represented at the event, with local rider Amanda Kelleher scoring the highest PTV in the Level 1 at her first three phase event. Lorea O’Sullivan won the U16 class, trained well by former International Young Rider, Annie O’Neill, and competing her pony, Poppy. Second was Ellie Horgan, team Bantry Pony Treeking, followed in third by Kate Sheehan. Another Young Rider, Ryan Brooks from Three Counties TREC (Leitrim), competed at his first TREC event and had a very impressive 30 points in the MA.

West Cork TREC and TREC Ireland would like to express their sincere thanks
- to our sponsors (Mother Bee, Bantry Pet & Equine Shop, O'Brien's Saddlery, Orchard Equestrian, KK Kennels, Brick Oven Bantry, West Carbery Pony Club, Castlemore Riding School, AIB Skibbereen, Jenni & Martha Norton, Megan Lynch & family, Julie & Annie O'Neill, and Geraldine Hourihan).
- to our competitors, judges & helpers and all our officials, especially the Traceurs (Bastian and Ian Squire, TD Gwen Bastian (Assistant TD Fiona Bastian) with a marvellous team at the venue (Karen Murphy, Sheila Fuller), the “men” (John Enright, Greg Owens and Jonathan Pheysey) for the smooth road crossings, Ros Lynch and Jill Davies for scoring, the vet Caroline van Kilsdonk, and our event secretary Adèle Connor.
- to everyone who supplied the food at the BBQ on Saturday
- to Berry for the refreshments on Sunday
 -to those who loaned us equipment (line marker Bunratty UFC, tables & chairs Mealagh Valley Community Hall)
- to sponsors who donated consumables for the competitors and landowners (Drinagh Eurospar Skibbereen, Brosnan's Centra Schull).

Special thanks must of course go to Bantry Pony Trekking for hosting the competition at their venue, and lastly but not least, to Bastian who has been such a driving force in both West Cork TREC and TREC Ireland for many years.

Below you will find a list of the winners, more detailed results can be found on our Results page.  We hope you all enjoyed our event, and we look forward to seeing you again soon. 

​OVERALL COMPETITION WINNERS
Level 3 Individuals: 1st - Leith Pimpernel (Mairead Moynihan); 2nd - Abbey (Amanda Sheridan); 3rd - Flora (Sandra Schmid)
Level 3 Pairs: 1st - Calanstown Kid (Kayleigh McCormack) and Harry Legs (Deidre Clune); 2nd - Chester (Fionnuala Solomon) and Coco (Yasmin Roo Joyce-Nightingale)
Level 2 Individuals: 1st - Shannon (Finian Carrol); 2nd - Daithi (Kate Ryan Brouwer)
Level 2 Pairs: 1st - Garnagree Duke (Vicky McMullen) and The General's Daughter (Liz Burbage); 2nd - Piccolo (Katy Martin and Paris 2 (Siobhan Wolf); 3rd - Shady (Diana O'hUid) and Winston (Niam O'hUid)
Level 1 Individuals: 1st - Brownie (Anne O'Riordan)
Level 1 Pairs: 1st - Mac (Anne-Marie Cronin) & Tinkerbell (Ciaran Cronin); 2nd - Frere Jacques (Margaret Lynch) & Woodbine Benjamin (Margo Monaghan); 3rd - Roos (Zoe Mortimer) and Hanna (Bobbie Ovington).
​Level 1 Groups (Under 16's): 1st Poppy (Lorea O'Sullivan); 2nd - Blue (Kate Sheehan); 3rd - Henry (Ellie Horgan).

GRANGECLARE CUP WINNERS (for Overall Best TREC Ireland member)
Level 3 - Leith Pimpernel (Mairead Moynihan); Level 2 - The General's Daughter (Liz Burbage); Level 1 - Mac (Anne-Marie Cronin)

OTHER PRIZE WINNERS
Best PTV score: Poppy (Lorea O'Sullivan)
Best MA score: Ballyclough Nugget (Sheila Winters)
Best Young Rider Level 1: Maple Syrup (Amanda Kelleher)
Best Coloured Horse/Pony: The General's Daughter (Liz Burbage)

Just a reminder to anyone who wishes to take part in this year's Trec Ireland National Championships 2016 that the closing date for entries is Saturday, 25th June.

This photo was taken by the Technical Delegate while out checking the various POR routes.  We don't know on which particular route this was taken, but everyone will get to enjoy views like this.

Hope to see you there on July 2nd and 3rd.  If you haven't sent in your entry form yet, please do so, and soon!

The new rules for the West Cork TREC winter and summer leagues have been finalised and are available for download here.

These rules are applicable from the start of the Summer League 2016.  Please note that from now on a person must be a member of West Cork TREC to accumulate points in the league.

Winners of both leagues will be announced on our website, and also at our annual AGM.

We also run a separate Attendance table which runs from the start of the Winter League in November to the end of the Summer League in October.  Anyone who attends our events, training sessions and social events as a competitor, helper or official, be they a member or not, will be given a point on this attendance table, and the results will be announced at our AGM. 

The final event in our Winter League 2015/2016 took place on 17th April 2016.  The leader board file can be viewed on our Results page and downloaded if you wish to keep a copy for yourselves.

The winner of the Winter League 2015/2016 was Sara Gems with 29 points.  Congratulations Sara!  In a well deserved 2nd place is Lucy Murphy on 24 points, followed closely in 3rd place by Emma O'Sullivan on 23 points.  In joint 4th place on 21 points are Jane Capener and Martha Norton, with Jenni Norton and Judith Fauch in joint 6th on 19 points.

Please note that for the purpose of our leagues we decided that all under 16 riders would be allowed to combine points if riding different horses as many of our youngest riders do not own their own mount and often have to ride whichever mount is available to them on the day.