Showjumping Ireland and Connolly’s RED MILS today launched the 2019 RED MILLS National Training Bursary Training at Marion Hughes stud in Kilkenny.
The RED MILLS National Training Bursary Clinic is a three day all expenses paid Bursary Training Clinic with some of Ireland’s best coaches for Athletes over 16 years of age.
The 2019 RED MILLS Bursary will take place at Barnadown Equestrian Centre from 16th – 18th July, where the 24 selected athletes, will each bring two horses for three days of intensive training in flatwork and jumping.
In addition to the riding coaching and stable management training, the Bursary is designed to offer a complete training experience including lectures from experts in, physiotherapy, nutrition, public relations, digital marketing, business and finance and performance management. The aim being to expose the Athletes to a broad range of skills that they will need to peruse a career in showjumping.
As part of the partnership Connolly’s RED MILLS head of Equine Nutrition, Lorraine Fradl will give a series of lectures designed to educate the Athletes on the importance and impact of equine nutrition both the wellbeing of their horses and overall performance.
At the end of the three days RED MILLS in conjunction with the coaches will offer one rider the opportunity to join their esteemed list of RED MILLS riders and will be sponsored for a year. As part of the sponsorship the selected rider will also receive four coaching session with RED MILLS Rider Marion Hughes.
Jane Davis, Equine Brand Manager, RED MILLS said: “Developing talent and creating opportunities is high on the RED MILLS agenda. When the chance arose to partner with the SJAI and support the National Training Bursary we felt is was the perfect fit. This is a competitive industry and the more that can be done to educate and create connection for our young riders the better. We are really looking forward to getting to know the athletes and to work with them over the three days to develop their knowledge around the core areas of equine nutrition. Showjumping can be an expensive game so to show our support we’ll be working closely with the coaches to select one athlete to join our team of RED MILLS Riders and we will sponsor their top horse for a year as well as working with RED MILLS rider Marion Hughes who will provide the opportunity for four training sessions over the 12 months.”
Orla Griffin, Chairperson of Training Committee said: “The National Training Bursary Clinic is always a highly anticipated event on the SJI training calendar. It is a fantastic opportunity for our riders to work along side some of the best coaches in Ireland to help them get to where they want to be in their riding career. Watching both horses and riders improve and blossom over the three days is extremely rewarding. The riders form great friendships with eachother every year and it is a brilliant way of gaining connections for the future. With such a range of topics being covered every year each rider takes something different form the experience and benefits hugely from it. The SJI training committee are delighted to have RED MILLS on board to sponsor the clinic this year and are looking forward to working with them.”
RED MILLS rider Marion Hughes said: “I am a firm believer that we need to have a structure in place that supports the development of future talent and the National Training Bursary offers a great platform for our young riders to gain exposure to some top-class coaches and begin to understand the range of skills required to make it in the industry.
I am delighted to help launch this year’s RED MILLS National Training Bursary and I look forward to meeting the newest RED MILLS rider recruit and working with them throughout the year.”
Following the RED MILLS National Training Bursary selection day, that took place at the National Horse Sport Arena at Abbotstown 24 Athletes were selected:
- Robyn Moran – Limerick
- Vickie Anderson – Laois
- Angela Kosko – Sligo
- Jodiie Creighton- Antrim
- Sean Foley – Cork
- Aisling McGuinness – Dublin
- Emer Kavanagh – Wexford
- Shaunagh Thomson- Wexford
- Lizzie Burcher – Tipperary
- Isabel Fitzpatrick – Wicklow
- Liam Deery – Dublin
- Cian O’Connell – Galway
- Lisa Gerbola Bushaway – Westmeath
- Lauren Haire – Kilkenny
- Jaye Devine – Cork
- Jennifer Torrens – Tyrone
- Ruari Clarke – Down
- Cora Sharkey – Roscommon
- Hugo McAlpine – Tyrone
- Mackenzie Healy – Tyrone
- Luke Garrigan – Dublin
- John Carr – Galway
- Darren Irwin – Tyrone
- Conor Cassidy – Kildare
Coaches
- Ian Fearon – Selected as the 2019 Head Coach and will be coaching jumping sessions
- Jack Doyle – Jumping
- Laura Brown McCann – Flat work
- Cormac Rafferty – Gymnastic Exercises/ Grid work
- Anna Dangerfield – Flat work
- Tom Holden – Course walk/ Course building/ technical advisor
