FIXTURES - RACE CARD

• Irish Pony Club Race Day/Juddmonte Beresford Stakes
• 26/09/2010

The Irish Pony Club will join forces with The Curragh Racecourse on Sunday September 26th when the inaugural Irish Pony Club Family Race Day takes place at the famous County Kildare venue. The top class program of racing features the Juddmonte Beresford Stakes (Group 2), CL Weld Park Stakes (Group 3) and Hackett’s Bookmakers Irish Cesarewitch.

The objective of this exciting initiative will be not only for the Curragh to showcase horse racing to Pony Club members from all over Ireland, but most importantly for the Pony Club to celebrate the end of their busy summer season with a fun and exciting day for all the family to enjoy.

The Pony Club has enjoyed a long and successful association with Horse Racing with a number of high profile jockeys including Katie Walsh, Nina Carberry, Charlie Swan, Barry Geraghty, Paul Carberry, Kate Harrington, John A. Berry to name a few, all playing an active part in the Pony Club when they were children, while leading trainer Aidan O’Brien was a member of the Wexford Hunt Branch, and his family have enjoyed terrific recent success with the Tipperary Hunt Branch teams. Leading former jockey and current Curragh based trainer Conor O’Dwyer is also another former Pony Club member and he helped launch the race day with his son Charlie, a current member of the Kildare Hunt Branch Pony Club.

A packed program of entertainment during the afternoon will provide the Pony Club with the opportunity to highlight their various activities with presentations courtesy of TRI Equestrian to some of their winning teams, including Horse Trials, Hunter Trials, Mounted Games, Minimus, Tetrathlon, Show Jumping and Dressage taking place during the afternoon, while the winning Musical Ride team Co. Clare Branch will perform on the track during interval between races.

One of the most exciting aspects of the initiative is a Jockey Skills Training Course, which takes places at the world renowned Racing Academy and Centre of Education in Kildare Town for ten Pony Club members aged between 13 and 15 years, who were selected following a stringent interview process. The overall winner will receive one week of work experience at Aidan O’Brien’s world famous Ballydoyle Stables, a guaranteed residential trial to gain a place on RACE’s Trainee Jockey year long course, together with private jockey coaching session with a RACE Instructor and €250 voucher from TRI Equestrian.

The ten Pony Club members that have been selected are as follows:-
Ward Union Branch: Megan Carbery & Emma Sweeney
Duhallow Hunt Branch: Jack Hanly & David Noonan
Waterford Hunt Branch: Sean Houlihan
West Waterford: Jack O Donoghue
Killinick Hunt Branch: Sarah Berry
North Tipperary and Ormond Hunt Branch: Joe Doyle
Scarteen Hunt Branch: Ryan Cusack
Newcastle Lyons Branch: Donal Delahunt

Evan Arkwright, Commercial Manager of the Curragh Racecourse commented, “We are delighted to be working with the Irish Pony Club to create a really special day for Pony Club Members and their families with the ultimate objective to develop a strong association between the Curragh and Pony Club members from all over Ireland”.

Alice Mernagh, Chairman of Irish Pony Club said “It will be a wonderful opportunity for the Irish Pony Club to showcase to the horse racing public the variety of competition that we provide to our members, and to join with The Curragh Racecourse to further strengthen the bonds that unite us and have fun doing so”.

All Pony Club Members gain free admission to the race, while there is a special admission offer available by calling the racecourse on 045 441205

For Further Information, please contact:
Evan Arkwright, Commercial Manager The Curragh Racecourse
Alice Mernagh, Chairperson Irish Pony Club: 056 8832966

Link to image of Alice Mernagh, Chairperson Irish Pony Club and Evan Arkwright of the Curragh Racecourse are joined by former champion jockey and now leading trainer Conor O’Dwyer and his son Charlie, a member of the Kildare Hunt Pony Club Branch to launch the inaugural Irish Pony Club Race Day at the Curragh taking place on Sunday 26th September. Right click Save As (Images free to use, no repro fee):-
http://www.goracing.ie/hri/pics/hri/ponyclublaunch.jpg

Jockey Skills Training Course Finalists

In association with the Racing Academy and Centre for Education

Megan Carbery, age 15, member of Ward Union since she was 7, riding since she was 2. Active in all Pony Club disciplines. Pony Racing with Midland’s Horse and Pony Association with great success, leading lady jockey at the moment. Hunts with The Ward Union Hunt and Fingal Harriers. Rides out at several racing yards.

Emma Sweeney, 13 years, Ward Union branch member, riding since she was 5, participated in all Pony Club activities, has now started Pony racing, works in a racing stable when possible, big ambition to be a jockey and follow in former Pony Club members footsteps.

Jack Harty, age 14, Duhallow branch member, participates in Combined Training games, Tetrathlon and Hunter Trials, currently training for Tetrathlon. Riding since he was 8, hunts with Duhallow Hunt, dreams of becoming a National Hunt jockey rides out for various trainers. Solid racing background.

David Noonan, age 14, Duhallow branch, Horse Trials, and Tetrathlon his speciality, currently in training for this, since 12 years has been spending time in a racing yard doing all the jobs that entails , rides out some of the best horses, ambition to be a jockey.

Sean Houlihan, age 15, Waterford branch, loves all equine sports, riding since the age of 7,has taken part in all Pony Club activities. Working in a racing stable , riding out foe the past two years.

Jack O Donoughue, age 14, West Waterford branch, training for C+, all disciplines in Pony Club participated in successfully, hunts with the Conna Harriers and West Waterfords, gets lots of opportunities to ride other ponies, on the show jumping circuit also.

Sarah Berry, Killinick member ,age 14 ,riding since she was 5, been in a racing environment since then, participates in all Pony Club activities, including Hunter Trials, Show Jumping and Horse Trials. Rides out, only want to be a jockey in the future

Joe Doyle, North Tipperary and Ormonde, age 14 years, Hunter Trials, Robbie Bailey and Minimus at Pony Club level, C+ standard, hunts, involved in Pony racing at the moment, rides out at pre training yard, rides “breeze ups” at the sales, has been to England to ride out.

Ryan Cusack, age 14, Scarteen Hunt member, hunts with the Scartteens, in a training yard since he was 10, brings on young horses and ponies, pony racing also at the moment, loves Hunter Trials.

Donal Delahunt age 13 , Newcastle Lyons member since he was 7, successful at all that he competes in especially Minimus , Cross country and Show Jumping and has done Musical Ride also. He has jumped for his College and gone to Hickstead. He is working and riding out in a racing yard, helps prepare yearlings for sales.