With high winds and lashing rain continuing throughout Ireland, another of the premier showjumping weekends has seen cancellation! Rolestown Horse & Pony Show which features two of the IJM Timber Frame National Grand Prix League classes, one of which is the first of the Super League 1.50m classes for the season, raises money for the St. Francis Hospice in Ratheny.

The Irish Showjumpers Club, under the leadership of Chairman Jack Doyle, came in at the eleventh hour to ensure that the riders didn't lose another Grand Prix class in the all important lead up to Dublin Horse Show. The National riders need to be in the top section of the Grand Prix League rankings to be eligible for selection to one of the biggest shows on the showjumping calendar worldwide.

Phone calls went on well into Thursday night, throughout Ireland as Jack Doyle and his committee got things happening - and they succeeded with Kill International Equestrian Centre, in Kill, County Kildare, being the venue and with their synthetic outdoor surface the weather would not effect the jumping so that was set - now money was needed for the two support classes being run on Saturday as well and again Jack set to work with the excellent result being that there was a €600 prize fund for the 1.20m class prior to the Grand Prix and also €600 for the 1.30m class which ran after the Grand Prix - money was also needed for ancillary costs of running a show!

Jack was so successful raising money for this event that there is more than required - the surplus is now in trust for any further shows which run into cancellation problems ensuring that the Irish Showjumpers Club can support their own sport when an emergency arises.

Jack Doyle and the committee of the Irish Showjumpers Club would like to thank the following people for their donations which were so quickly and willingly offered when they heard of the dilemma facing showjumping this weekend:

Helena Walsh of Darragh Equestrian Supplies took on the naming rights for the Grand Prix class which was very generous of her company and the day looked set - Jane Doyle was delighted with the response from the showjumping community in both their financial support and the numbers who turned up for the day. The 1.20m class saw well over 100 entries which was totally unexpected but obviously the jungle drums had been beating with word spreading about the relocation.

The winner of the 1.20m class saw Nicola Fitzgibbon and Joie de Vivre take the lead early and they held it all the way through to the presentation which saw them in 1st place. Catherine Thornton took 2nd position and Barry O'Connor was in third place. Gavin Dooley and Harristown King went home with 4th place while Denis Coakley was in 5th with Jack Dole in 6th position.

The weather was not kind to this event with high winds blowing and causing the call to go out for sandbags to hold the jump wings in place but at least the rain was intermittent sprinklings rather than the lashing rain Ireland had been experiencing!

Pictured left: Jack and Jane Doyle - the two who decided that the showjumpers couldn't lose another Grand Prix class and they put their money where their mouths were - and they made the day what it was - a great success!

Pictured below: The weather was that cold and blustery that even the dogs had their winter rain coats on!

Below left: Martin Duffy and his superstar little horse, Little Midget show their style in the 1.20m over the park bench fence which always adds interest to any track!

Below right: Edward Doyle and Helena Walsh from Darragh Equestrian Solutions have a chat!