The Benbulben Riding Club Show Jumping Team is competing in the Fáilte Ireland Dublin Horse Show. They are competing in the AIRC Team Show Jumping Competition on Sunday. They will compete against 8 other teams from around the country and are very proud to be representing both Sligo and the Western Region of the Association of Riding Clubs (AIRC).

Benbulben Riding Club has been a member of the Association of Riding Clubs (AIRC) since 2004. The Club welcomes members from Sligo and surrounds and has 50 members who compete their horses at all levels of all disciplines, including Dressage, Show Jumping, Cross Country and One Day Events.

The Club has been very successful over the past number of years but the highlight of our existence so far is the fact that we have a team of 4 riders competing in the AIRC Team Show Jumping Competition in the RDS on Sunday. In order to qualify for this competition the team had to beat off the challenge of 24 other teams in a very exciting qualifier that was held in Kerins Tubberbride, Collooney on the May Bank Holiday Weekend.

The four riders who are competing in the RDS are Diarmuid Lang, Breda Perrin, Finola Murphy and Elaine Wilson. Diarmuid Lang is the Chairperson of Benbulben Riding Club and is Captain of the team and he is riding Miss Roller. They will be jumping in the RDS at 1mtr and this combination have done extremely well down through the years in Riding Clubs competitions. Diarmuid hails from Collooney and is a full time farmer and father to Niall and Ciara. His patience and gentle way of handling animals has made him very popular and well known locally for his great skills in breaking and schooling both horses and ponies.

Breda Perrin will also be competing at 1 mtr in the RDS. Breda rides Erronagh Sky and since joining Benbulben RC has moved from an Advanced Primary Grade, jumping at 80cm, to Open Grade, jumping at 1.10mtr. Breda is a full time mother to Aaron, Cillian, Darragh and Alannah and moved to the West from Dublin a couple of years ago with her husband Eamonn who has now also joined the Riding Club.

Finola Murphy is a very well known member of Benbulben RC. Finola was one of the founding members of the Riding Club and competes all across the West with Jessie's Kildalton Delight, her chestnut mare. Finola has won the leading Rider at Intermediate Grade (competing at 90cms) award in the Western Region. Finola is a teacher in St Mary’s Secondary School in Ballisodare. Her two grooms, Ruairi and Fergal, can't wait for the RDS so they can make sure that Jessie is turned out shinier and plaited better than ever before!!

Elaine Wilson is the final member of the team. Elaine rides Troy, a lovely grey gelding, at Intermediate level and the combination have done extremely in all competitions. Elaine hails from Ballymote but is now living in Gurteen with her husband Declan and children, Shauna, Naoise, Niall and Bronagh.

This team adds to the other competitors at the RDS who hail from Sligo. Benbulben RC would like to thank Horseworld, Declan McGarry and the Kerins family for their support and help to the team and all Benbulben members.