Leinster Dressage Summer Festival - Sponsored by Botanica International
We are delighted to be partnering once again with Botanica International, Ireland’s premier supplier of award-winning natural products for horses and humans. Established over 16 years ago by Sean Cooney, Botanica’s customer base includes the royal family!
Botanica believe in producing natural products that work. Bestsellers include their herbal anti itch cream, their cleansing wash and their 6 in 1 mane, tail and skincare spray.
We are delighted to say that Botanica will be onsite during our Summer festival to showcase their products and present prizes. Their newest product, Botanica Fly Spray was developed in consultation with the Queen’s stud manager at Balmoral.
Leinster Dressage Festival
Our Leinster Dressage Festival will run on the 3rd and 4th of June at Coilog in Kilmeague. We will run a variety of classes over five competition arenas. We have designed our programme of 51 classes to include all riders and are delighted to welcome List 1 judges from the UK and Holland.
TIMES - https://www.dressageireland.ie/news/botanica-leinster-dressage-festival-2023
Our festival will also have a social aspect with a buffet dinner, presentations and raffle onsite on Saturday night.
Entries are now OPEN at https://www.dressageireland.ie/competitions/2425
Stabling
Stabling booking is all handled by Coilog and will close the same date as the entries do – the 21st May 2023 at 23.45pm. Stables cost just €50 from Friday to Sunday. All stabling is in temporary stables. Note – all horses stabling onsite must have up to date vaccinations. Passports must be submitted to the secretaries office.
You can book your stabling at the following link - BOOK STABLING HERE!
Stables don’t come with any bedding in them but shavings can also be purchased at the link above or if you prefer to bring your own bedding, that’s fine.
Lorry Parking and Hook up
Lorry Parking and hook up is available and is handled by Coilog. Please click this link to book - BOOK LORRY PARKING AND HOOK UP HERE
Warm Up Classes
We have added warm up classes each day. This is to allow riders the chance to ride a test before competing in their relevant championship. It also affords members the chance to compete in another test at their level which would count towards qualification for national championships. Only rosettes will be awarded in the warm up classes. Unregistered combinations (riders and horses who are not members of Dressage Ireland) are welcome in the warm up classes. If you are unregistered a €5 insurance surcharge will apply.
Botanica 2 day Championships
Only registered members of Dressage Ireland on registered horses will be eligible for the two day championships. If anyone unregistered enters a temporary charge of €5 a day for temporary insurance will apply and the combination will not be eligible for the championships results and prizes. It is up to their riders to ensure that they and their horses are registered with Dressage Ireland in time before entering.
Two day championships (one test each day i.e. one Saturday one Sunday):
Scores will be combined over the two days to determine overall results. Those placed will receive rosettes and prize money and the winner will also receive a Botanica hamper.
Big Tour and Small Tour
We will have a PSG championship on Saturday and an Inter II championship.
On Sunday we will have an Inter I and an Grand Prix Championship.
Any combination who compete in both PSG and Inter I will be eligible for the small tour championship and any combination who compete in both Inter II and Grand Prix will be eligible for the big tour championship. Both will be awarded on Sunday.
Trailblazers
Trailblazer classes will run on Saturday. While unregistered riders and horses are permitted (a €5 insurance surcharge will apply when entering), only registered trailblazer riders on registered ponies will be eligible for prizes which will be presented on Saturday.
Freestyle
Riders can choose to ride freestyle at any level they are entitled to ride at according to DI rules. Combinations can enter more than one level.
Music must be submitted in advance and must be in MP3, MP4 or WAV format. The email address and submission date will be supplied to competitors once entries have closed.
Two free style categories -
1) prelim to medium inc para I/II/III
2) Adv medium and above inc para IV and V
Young Horse / Age Classes
We are running both FEI and DI age tests to facilitate any riders looking for national or international qualifications. These will run as stand-alone classes with rosettes for those placed. Riders must ensure they enter the correct class.
Dunbyrne Equestrian Unregistered Championship
We are running two classes for riders and horses who are not members of Dressage Ireland. These classes will be run in a 20*40m arena on Saturday only. Only unregistered combinations may enter these classes.
There will be rosettes for those placed in the preliminary and novice young horse classes and a championship rug for the highest score obtained across the two classes which is sponsored by local livery and producing yard Dunbyrne Equestrian.
Treo Eile
We are delighted that Treo Eile (www.treoeile.com) will have a prize for the best score by a raced thoroughbred over the two day show. With this award Treo Eile recognise the thoroughbred horse and their versatility and contribution to dressage. It is essential that any riders competing on an eligible horse submit their passport by email to leinsterdressage@gmail.com by close of entries. Horses do not need to be registered with Dressage Ireland to be eligible.
Traditional Irish Horse
The Traditional Irish Horse association (https://traditionalirishhorse.com/) will be sponsoring a prize for the best score by a traditional Irish horse over the two day show. This award recognises the importance of the traditional Irish breeding and the place of the TIH in dressage. It is essential that any riders competing on an eligible horse submit their passport by email to leinsterdressage@gmail.com by close of entries. A traditional Irish horse is defined here - https://traditionalirishhorse.com/about/definition-of-a-traditional-irish-horse/ Please note a connemara pony is not a TIH
Horses do not need to be registered with Dressage Ireland to be eligible.
Equestrian Reality Unsung Hero Award
Equestrian Reality (www.equestrianreality.com) will have a prize for the best score by a horse with no breeding recorded over the championship classes at the two-day show. This award is a nod to DBS Second Chance – Equestrian Reality’s medium level horse who has no breeding at all on his passport and aims to recognise that good horses can come from anywhere.
It is essential that any riders competing on an eligible horse submit their passport (horse must have a passport) by email to leinsterdressage@gmail.com by close of entries. Horses do not need to be registered with Dressage Ireland to be eligible.
Passports
Passports must be submitted for checking at the show ground secretaries tent before competing. All horses competing at the festival must have up to date vaccinations.
Saturday Evening Entertainment
We will have a buffet on Saturday night (with Irish weather it’s a safer bet than a BBQ) as well as a raffle and music. Tickets will be on sale vis Its Plain Sailing and the link will be supplied as soon as possible. Entry will be ticket only and tickets must be purchased here - https://www.itsplainsailing.com/org/ld
We would love to have some great prizes for our raffle – to donate a prize please email dressageireland@gmail.com we would be delighted!
Prizegiving
We will have prize giving for Trailblazers, Dunbyrne Equestrian Unregistered Championship and PSG and Inter II on Saturday and the rest on Sunday. Prize giving times will be communicated in advance.
Photography
We are delighted to have Louise O’Brien Photography (https://www.louiseobrienphotography.com/) onsite taking top quality images. Only the official photographer may take / distribute / sell any commercial images taken onsite.
Catering
Competitors and supporters can enjoy delicious food from the onsite Arena Café which will be open Friday to Sunday offering everything from hot drinks to pastries to hot meals.
Trade Stands
Trade stands (non-food) are welcome at the show provided a) They contact leinsterdressage@gmail.com to arrange a spot and b) They have 2.6m public liability insurance.
Volunteers
We simply cannot run the festival without volunteers, we need your help. We need scribes and sheet collectors. Can you help? Please, email us at leinsterdressage@gmail.com we would be delighted!! All our volunteers will be fed from the delicious onsite arena cafe!
Ark Equine League
The festival will also be leg 4 of the Ark Equine Spring Summer Dressage league the final of which will be held 25th June at Greenogue. Festival scores will count towards the overall league results.
