Ravensdale Lodge 2014 Review
Gerard Clarke claimed his
second successive Longines National Grand Prix at Ravensdale Lodge in May on
board Eugene Hanratty’s Woodprins.
Photo: Niall Connolly.
It was a case of déjà vu as both Daniel Coyle and Gerard Clarke reclaimed their Spring Tour and National Grand Prix titles respectively at Ravensdale Lodge in 2014. In the case of Derry native Coyle, it was his third successive victory in the opening Grand Prix of the season at Ravensdale. More impressively, Coyle had partnered the same horse, Linzi Johnston’s bay mare Uptown Girl in all three victories.
To cap things off the combination went on to win the Spring Tour League for the third successive season in April, quite an achievement at any level for Coyle who is still in the “young rider” category. Clarke, another “young rider” claimed victory for the second successive season in the feature class of the year at Ravensdale Lodge, the Longines sponsored National Grand Prix.Clarke who is based in Co. Meath won the class on board the Eugene Hanratty owned Woodprins and collected his second valuable Longines wristwatch along with the prise fund for his efforts.
John Floody, who had brought Woodprins through the ranks as a youngster, won the last of the three seasonal Grand Prix at Ravensdale Lodge, the MSL Mercedes-Benz sponsored Autumn Grand Prix in September on board Joanne Attley’s Shenick. Based in Slane Co. Meath, Floody was particularly pleased with this win as it was the greys first Grand Prix class and the win came on “home” soil as the rider competes on a weekly basis in many of the SJI registered show jumping leagues held at the centre.
John Floody, who
won class finals in every SJI registered league run at Ravensdale Lodge in
2014 capped another good year by winning the MSL Mercedes-Benz sponsored
Autumn Grand Prix in September. Photo: Niall Connolly.
Sandwiched between these three Grand Prix classes there were five qualifiers for the RDS Dublin Horse Show along with the first qualifier for the Young Event Horse Class at Balmoral show in May, a piece of history being made as it was the first time this class had been run at Balmoral showground’s. As one door opened another closed as 2014 was deemed by the FEHL organisation to be its last. The popular Future Event Horse League had run for fifteen years with Ravensdale Lodge playing its part in the development of young event horses, many of which had gone on to greater things as the Irish studbook held a stranglehold at the top of world eventing for the past couple of decades.
Away from the bigger shows, Ravensdale Lodge held all its usual weekly shows which comprised of SJI registered shows for the professionals, horse & pony training shows, arena eventing, cross-jump and dressage for the leisure riders who are the equestrian world’s backbone. In another action packed year at the centre it is difficult to pick any one highlight as a stand out moment. It was rewarding to see two young horses, Woodprins and Shenick, horses that had been brought along by John Floody at Ravensdale Lodge do so well on the Grand Prix circuit, both winning at the centre in 2014.
It was also a great compliment to hold the first qualifier for the Young Event Horse class at Balmoral show in May while there too many wonderful moments among the many unaffiliated classes and leisure riders to mention. All part of the highs & lows, thrill & spills of day to day life at Ravensdale Lodge. We would like to wish all our customers, riders & horses alike a very Happy New Year, we look forward to all the thrills & spills 2015 has to bring.
Category: News, Other, Show Jumping
