October 6th, 2021
A new race is to be held at the Curragh Racecourse which will highlight some of the great talent that exists among third level student riders in horse racing across Europe. The Horseware Ireland Student Derby is a new exhibition race which will take place as the final race of the Curragh flat season on 26 October 2021.
The race is the first of its kind which will feature the top riders from each of the universities of the European Student Horseracing Federation (ESHF), competing over the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby track of 12 furlongs (2400 metres).
It will be the final of eight races on 26 October with the first race of the day taking place at 12.40 pm and the Horseware Ireland Student Derby at 4.40 pm. The Student Derby’s main sponsor for the race's debut occasion is Horseware Ireland, the leading provider of horse blankets, who are determined to promote both young people into horse sports and the development of animal welfare.
The race will feature the premier riders of the horse racing and equestrian societies of Trinity College Dublin, University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, University College Dublin, Munster technological University, University College Cork, University of Limerick, National University of Ireland Galway, Maynooth University, the University of Nottingham, Cardiff University and Harper Adams University.
The prize of the race is a €5,000 charity prize fund which will be donated to the charity of the winning rider's choice generously donated by John Lavery. The Horseware Ireland Student Derby aims to promote and nurture the love of the sport amongst students of all backgrounds and interests and to provide a platform to learn about the different opportunities that the industry has to offer. It is part of a larger initiative to increase cooperation between universities and the horse racing industry in order to create the next generation of racegoers.
Robert Riley Dargan, Founder & Chairman of the ESHF, "This race would not have been possible without the generosity of Horseware Ireland, the Curragh Racecourse, Equine Medirecord and John Lavery, and the other Chairmen and Chairwomen of the ESHF particularly Patrick Barlow, who all have supported us since the beginning and who I cannot thank enough for their generosity. We are delighted with what the team has been able to achieve and look forward to doing our part in helping promote our great sport of horse racing to future generations."
Evan Arkwright, CEO (interim) of the Curragh Racecourse, "The Student Derby will be an exciting finale to our 2021 racing season, and we look forward to welcoming students from all over Ireland who will be here to support their representatives in the race. We have worked very positively with the European Student Horseracing Federation to put the race together and look forward to the race day becoming an annual feature of our season."
Mark Saunders, CEO of Horseware Ireland, "We are delighted to be sponsoring the inaugural Student Derby and supporting the next generation of riders. It promises to be a very exciting event and I have now doubt will become a firm staple in the racing calendar in the years to come."
