Mid Antrim Hunt Placed Third in Dublin Hunt Chase
Mid Antrim Inter Hunt Chase team
After an intensive campaign to get to to the finals in Dublin, the Mid Antrim Hunt Inter Hunt Chase team competed very successfully at the Dublin Horse Show recently.
They came third equal and were only knocked out by the eventual winners, the Killinicks in the semi finals. Congratulations must go to the efforts of this tireless hunt chasing team and support network, with riders making no mistakes in their competitive rounds.
The team consisted of Beverley Caves, Orlaith McLaughlin, Fiona Magill and Jamie Sloan who should be congratulated on the great effort needed to get to Dublin Show, and to do so well there.
They are very grateful to Andy Hamilton who provided the first impetus for the team and has driven so many miles for them, encouraging them all the way. Orlaith’s father Davy McLaughlin has been a stalwart Chef D’Equipe, also putting the miles in and helping at every turn.
On a few occasions Paul Caves and Benny O’Kane have stood in as substitutes but in general it has been the same four which has enabled them to get their performance honed to the high level and speed required.
The team won the Best Turned Out prize for the league, which shows the attention to detail put into the presentation of each rider and their horse. Fiona Sloan won the most entertaining rider, a role that had previously gone to George Devlin and Ian Wilson in the past at Balmoral. During the occasions when a junior event has been held at the Inter Hunt Chase League events, Joe and Bob Hamilton, Saoirse McLaughlin and Jamie Boyd have had the opportunity to compete.
While some teams use their hunt chasing horses only for this purpose, the truly great horses of Mid Antrim team will have a short rest in recognition of their hard work, then enjoy the season with their owners. Hopefully after the thrill of the main arena at the RDS in front of a huge noisy crowd, the hunting won’t seem too tame!
