Association Of Irish Riding Clubs Ltd

The Association held its first meeting in Portlaoise under the chairmanship of Eddie Fowler with Helen Mangan as Administrator.

Since then, the membership of the Association has grown steadily to the present day 125 affiliated clubs, 8 regions and almost 3,500 members nationwide.

The number of activities has also increased with championships held annually for individual and team show jumping, individual and team dressage, hunter trails, and horse trails. Events are also held occasionally for Trec and Cross Jump.

The Association also holds Irelands biggest equestrian amateur event, the Riding Clubs Festival. This two-day event features up to 70 competitions and has attracted entries in excess of 2,500. Competitions are held in show jumping, dressage, showing and working hunter. The event is designed to cater for everyone as no qualification is necessary to enter the majority of the competitions. Punchestown racecourse hosted the first Riding Clubs Festival in 1990.

Today the Association strives to promote the amateur leisure rider as it has done for the last number of decades.