Every year we like to recognise our four legged partners without whom their would be no TREC. Please take a look below at our two nominees for this year’s Katy Memorial Trophy. Once you have made up your mind please cast you vote on the link below. This vote is only open to CTG members, so please include your membership number. Voting closes 24 Nov, and the winner will be announced at the AGM on 25 November.
- Cape Clear Casey (Casey)
Casey joined the Weston stable in April 2016 aged 21 and having never done TREC before. I had just lost Jack so there were big hooves to fill. She got my confidence back for riding and hunting and soon learnt some of the finer points of TREC. We did some Level 2 competitions and then stepped up to Level 3 Pairs at the GB Champs at Poplar Park when Helen’s partner was unable to compete. Despite not jumping we came 2nd having done a good POR.
We have since had great fun at Level 2A, both individually (placed in the League in 2017 and 2018) and as a Pair with Anna. Casey also ‘nannied’ several others during the riding Holiday on Anglesey in June 2018 and is now sharing some duties with Claire’s 2B with the Woodland Pytchley Hunt.
I nominate her for the Katie Memorial Trophy. Mary Weston
2. Clonlaras Dubh.
I’ve nominated Dubh because she has been nothing short of legendary this year.
Tia the TREC pony sadly got kicked in the field in June and had some nasty suspensory damage. This meant although I’d qualified to go to the World Young Rider TREC Championships in Italy, I had no horse to take. I have another horse, Dubh, an over keen ex- racehorse, who is low-key psychopathic and is still too keen after 80km at 15kph hence why she does endurance not TREC.
However I was left with no option when trying to hire a horse out there came to nothing, meaning that 2 weeks before leaving, Dubh became the nominated horse and had 2 weeks to learn everything about TREC, with a stint at the Welsh Champs being her only prior event before competing on the international stage.
Not only did Dubh make light work of the whole international travel challenge, she behaved beautifully while in Italy and did a fantastic job in the competition to finish the 2nd highest British combination and finished 29th individually, fulfilling my aim of top 30 and managing to finish in a higher position than I did with Tia last year – an incredible feat considering this was a harder competition and Dubh had no preparation!
The whole adventure has been made so much more special because 2 years ago Dubh was on death’s door and was vowed to never be ridden again. Over a slow careful year of rehabilitation, she recovered from her long list of ailments to start gentle ridden work, and then one thing led to another and she eventually returned to endurance competition – something the vet still cannot believe. For her to have such an incredible recovery and to then compete for her country this year, I have no words. Dubh is my horse of a lifetime and I am eternally grateful to her!
This year she has stepped up to compete in Italy at the World Champs, helped me attend my first National TREC Champs where I collapsed with severe appendicitis on the second day (and she looked after me a treat, lying down next to me in the corral), and has recently climbed Snowdon in severe gales, just for fun. This on top of generally being my best friend, my shoulder to cry on, and giving me so many laughs every day. She makes me smile when nothing else can and I am proud beyond words of my little trooper and feel she deserves some recognition for being such a willing and able partner.
