Points sheets for 2024

Please click below to download your points sheets if you wish to partake in our awards system, the Side Saddle Ireland trophies will be presented at the Showing Ireland gala awards night at the end of the showing season. They are editable word documents- please type your results in and try to keep a tally as you compete, the finished document can be emailed back to sidesaddleireland@gmail.com

Please do not use any other system to tally your results as it leads to confusion!

2024-Show-Points

2024-dressage-points

2024 record of hunting

Points Winners

2023

Ladies

Overall winner Olivia Connolly ‘Rosspir’ Bowl, ISH Plate, Sheila O’Clery Double Diamond Dressage Award, Working Hunter Award

2nd Megan Connell

3rd Nicola Chambers, winner of the first season points award

Juniors

Overall winner Charlotte O’Connell & Lavistown Oscar, under 143 pony award

2nd Lucy O’Connell & Groveside Buzzy Bee

3rd Lucy O’Connell & Lanaway Sparkle

2022

Ladies

Congratulations to overall Ladies Winner Lyndsey O’Brien, winner of the Rosspir Rose Bowl and the R.I.D. Plate with Mr Bloomfield.

Suzanne O’Brien 2nd place, and winner of the ISH plate and the new partnership award.

Kate Horgan in 3rd place and winner of the Connemara Plate and the new member award.

Meghan Connell in 4th place,

Olivia Connolly in 5th place and winner of the Sheila O’Clery Double Diamond Dressage Trophy,

Louise Daly in 6th place,

Lynne Hincks in 7th place,

Amanda Power in 8th place and winner of the TB plate.

2022 Juniors 

Overall Junior Winner Clara Cully and winner of the -143 pony trophy and first season points award

2nd Lauren Hincks and winner of the +143 pony trophy

3rd Kiki Curran

4th Lucy Jo McMahon

5th Clodagh Curran

2021

Congratulations to Olivia Connolly who won the overall Ladies Points awards (Rosspir Rose Bowl) with her Irish Sport Horse Barronstown Poppy,  Oliva and Poppy also won the Marjory Kennedy Hunting Trophy, the Sheila O’Clery Double Diamond Dressage Trophy, and the Irish Sport Horse Plate.

 

 

 

Affiliate your side saddle classes here

Show Affiliation 2024

Show secretaries, please affiliate your side saddle classes for 2024 here by copying and pasting the link into your browser:

https://itsplainsailing.com/org/ssi

Click on ‘Events’ in our itsplainsailing page, then click on ‘register your show’, click on each class which you would like to affiliate to. Please copy the wording for each class into your schedule as below:

Class wording for affiliated side saddle classes.

Junior Side Saddle Class, affiliated to Side Saddle Ireland: To be ridden side saddle by riders under 18 on 1st January on ponies not exceeding 153cm. The class shall be judged on manners, conformation, way of going, and rider’s ability. Riders must wear an approved harnessed hat. A Side Saddle Ireland rosette will be presented to the 4 highest placed members in the class. A Best Rider rosette will be presented to the ‘Best Rider’ among those members. A ‘Best Turned Out’ rosette sponsored by Carr & Day & Martin will be awarded to the best turned out member combination in the class. Members may gain points towards our new National Side Saddle Championship League by competing in this class- please see www.ssaireland.com for the league rules.

Ladies Side Saddle Class, affiliated to Side Saddle Ireland: To be ridden side saddle by ladies in hunting costume. The horses shall be judged on the basis of elegant appearance, perfect manners and ability to give the judge a smooth ride.  Riders must be aged 16 years or over on the 1st of January of the current year on horses exceeding 153cm. A Side Saddle Ireland rosette will be presented to the 4 highest placed members in the class. A Best Rider rosette will be presented to the ‘Best Rider’ among the members. A ‘Best Turned Out’ rosette sponsored by Carr & Day & Martin will be awarded to the best turned out member combination in the class. Members may gain points towards our new National Side Saddle Championship League by competing in this class- please see www.ssaireland.com for the league rules.

Ladies Side Saddle Versatility Class, affiliated to Side Saddle Ireland: To be ridden side saddle by ladies in hunting costume. For horses 148 cm and over, riders must have reached their 14th birthday by 1st January of the current year. The rider’s ability and turnout, and the way of going, manners and movement of the horse will be considered as part of the adjudication. The class shall be judged as an overall picture of elegance presented by the rider and the horse. Each rider shall give an individual show not exceeding two minutes which should include walk, trot, canter and extended canter . The horse shall not be stripped or trotted up in hand. The class shall be judged from the ground. (No ride judge). A Side Saddle Ireland rosette will be presented to the 4 highest placed members in the class. A Best Rider rosette will be presented to the ‘Best Rider’ among the members. A ‘Best Turned Out’ rosette sponsored by Carr & Day & Martin will be awarded to the best turned out member combination in the class. Members may gain points towards our new National Side Saddle Championship League by competing in this class- please see www.ssaireland.com for the league rules.

RDS Ladies Side-Saddle Qualifier (only to be used by those shows chosen by the RDS to host a qualifier): Mare or Gelding, 5 years old or over. To be ridden side-saddle by riders who have attained their 16th birthday by 1 January 2018. Aim: To promote, present and preserve the art of side-saddle riding. Rules: The rider’s ability and turnout, and the way of going, manners, conformation and movement of the horse will be considered as part of the adjudication. A Side Saddle Ireland rosette will be presented to the 4 highest placed members in the class. A Best Rider rosette will be presented to the ‘Best Rider’ among those members. A ‘Best Turned Out’ rosette sponsored by Carr & Day & Martin will be awarded to the best turned out member combination in the class. Members may gain points towards our new National Side Saddle Championship League by competing in this class- please see www.ssaireland.com for the league rules.  Affiliated to Side Saddle Ireland.

RDS Intermediate Side-Saddle qualifier: (only to be used by those shows chosen by the RDS to host a qualifier): MARE or GELDING, 5 years old or over. 148cms or over but not exceeding 158cms. To be ridden side-saddle by riders who have attained their 14th birthday by 1 January 2017. Aim: To promote, present and preserve the art of side-saddle riding. Rules: The rider’s ability and turnout, and the way of going, manners, conformation and movement of the horse will be considered as part of the adjudication. Exhibits in the Intermediate Side-Saddle qualifiers must have a current and valid height measurement under the Show Jumping Ireland / Irish Pony Society measurement scheme and their passports must be available on arrival for inspection. A Side Saddle Ireland rosette will be presented to the 4 highest placed members in the class. A Best Rider rosette will be presented to the ‘Best Rider’ among those members. A ‘Best Turned Out’ rosette sponsored by Carr & Day & Martin will be awarded to the best turned out member combination in the class. Members may gain points towards our new National Side Saddle Championship League by competing in this class- please see www.ssaireland.com for the league rules. Affiliated to Side Saddle Ireland.

Membership 2024

The importance of membership:

When you support Side Saddle Ireland by paying your membership, you are helping us to promote and preserve our sport for future generations. Maintaining these core values will help us to attract more members and to be a strong voice when advocating for side saddle to be included at prestigious horse shows and for dealing with government bodies such as Horse Sport Ireland when we are trying to access support and funding for our activities. By becoming a member, you are joining a collective of ladies who want to maintain the proud and beautiful tradition of Side Saddle in Equestrianism in Ireland. Members are the beating heart of any club and by supporting us you are helping to develop a strong club culture so that we can be an influential voice in continuing to open our sport for generations of ladies to come. Side Saddle Ireland relies heavily on club membership income for the day-to-day running of the club and the money raised is used to cover costs such as insurance, website maintenance, accountants fees, postage and heavily subsidised rosettes which are sent out to all affiliated shows. All of this is supported by people volunteering as club officers to organise everything from sponsorship, preparing accounts, drafting legal documents, helping members to source saddles and other related gear, dealing with show secretaries and organising relevant events. These roles are fulfilled in a volunteering capacity with no monetary reward. Please join us today and help preserve the proud tradition of Side Saddle in Equestrianism in Ireland! Thank you for supporting our club, have a great season in 2024. 

Membership for 2024 is now open online at :

https://itsplainsailing.com/org/ssi

All memberships are to be paid online with no exceptions

Points for the new leagues will be tallied by the committee after every affiliated show. You may begin gaining points at shows as soon as your membership is paid. Good luck everyone!

 

 

RDS Qualifiers 2024

Armagh County Agricultural Show,
Co. Armagh
Saturday 8 June Flo McCall +44 (0)74 62655289
Athlone Agricultural Show,
Co. Westmeath
Sunday 16 June Melissa Glynn +353 (0)85 8435080
Flavours of Fingal County Show,
Swords, Co. Dublin
Saturday 29 June Helena Dawson +353 (0)87 2986188
Ballyfoyle Agricultural Show,
Co. Kilkenny
Sunday 30 June Anne McGrath +353 (0)87 6801073
Charleville Show,
Co. Cork
Sunday 30 June Elaine Goold +353(0)87 9662741

Latest News February 2024

Side Saddle Ireland will be running both a ladies and a junior league of affiliated classes in 2024 with exciting prizes on offer. Stay tuned for further updates and announcement of title sponsor. Show affiliations and membership are both now open online at  www.itsplainsailing.com/org/ssi

Please follow our new instagram page ‘Side Saddle Ireland’

AGM Notice 2023

AGM will take place Monday 20st November via zoom, current members will be emailed with time and zoom link and notified by post with accounts also. Please email any questions etc to sidesaddleireland@gmail.com

Call to action!

Dear ladies,

We would like to send out a call to action to all ladies and girls who are riding side saddle in Ireland. We cannot be a club without a strong membership and strong organising body. We are always looking for more like minded people to get involved on a voluntary basis. We are doing our best to promote side saddle in Ireland and we need your help to do so, whether you are out showing and competing, or just like to use your saddle for leisure and general riding, we would like to hear from you. Please get involved, by WhatsApping Ciara on 0872266321, or Olivia on 0877517463. We would be delighted to give you any help, encouragement or advice that you need. Please use the hashtag #sidesaddleireland when posting any photos or queries to social media which will help us to track the latest events and happenings around the country.

Rider and Horse Turnout for Showing

Tips about side saddle turnout

Side Saddle Riding has a long history on what to wear and how to wear it, below are a few guidelines for how to show both rider and horse.

RIDER TURNOUT

Bowler hats are usually back and can be worn with any colour of habit. The only other colour, which is acceptable, is brown and then only with a brown or tweed habit and only if worn with brown boots.

In the show-ring in the UK or Ireland, whatever the class, if a bowler hat is worn, it must be with collar and tie, and hair in a bun, even if this means using a false bun. Silk hats (always referred to as a ‘silk hat’ never a ‘top hat’) are for formal occasions only, and this means that the whole turnout of you and your horse must be formal. Your habit should be back or navy, you should wear a simple white or cream stock (no bling) and a spur, and your horse should be plaited and in a double bridle. Although, the old rule that silk hats would only be worn at Royal Shows has been relaxed, they are still only worn after lunch. If you are showing, do check the rules as many shows now insist that competitors in all classes must wear British Standard safety hats with a harness.

Traditionally minded judges do not approve of short dressage toppers for side-saddle. Silk hats should be no shorter than 4.75 inches or taller than 5.25 inches, depending on the height of the rider and overall picture on the horse. The hat should sit just above eyebrows and be straight and level to the ground when mounted.

A plain cream four-fold silk stock and plain white stock shirt should be worn with a silk hat, which should be tied tight enough to stay in place, but still be comfortable, and secured by a plain stock pin placed horizontally just under the knot when tied. Cream gloves should be worn with a silk hat although brown is also acceptable. Black, white or blingy gloves are not acceptable.

When wearing a bowler hat, a black bowler is always considered correct with a black or navy habit and long black boots, a brown bowler can also be worn with a tweed habit and long brown boots. A plain-collared shirt of a muted colour, preferably white or light cream should be worn with a dark tie, tied neatly and tight up to the collar.

Brown gloves should be worn with a bowler hat, well fitted and clean. Black gloves are a major faux pas because traditionally, black gloves signified that you were in mourning and therefore shouldn’t be riding.

Hair should be tied back into a tight, very neat, small doughnut-sized bun, just touching the bottom of the hat. A fine hair net should cover both bun and hair. Riders with short hair should wear a false bun to create the illusion of long hair. There should be absolutely no hair whatsoever escaping from under the hat. No bling.

A black veil should be worn with a top hat or black bowler. It is worn crossed over the bun at the back and held in place with hairgrips either side. There should be no creases or wrinkles in the veil. A traditional habit is made up of a waistcoat, jacket and apron.

Habits can be of navy, black or tweed in colour. A light/pale- coloured waistcoat, plain or with light check, should be worn under the habit with the lowest button left undone. The jacket should sit just above the saddle when mounted. It should be straight and have sleeves of a correct length so that when the rider’s arms are stretched, they are not too short.

The apron, which gives the impression of a skirt but in fact only wraps around the front of the rider, should sit straight and level with the ground when mounted. The back of the apron should sit just above the seat of the saddle all around. The length of the apron should sit around one hand on its side above the ankle of the boot. The elastic should wrap over the boot behind the heel and then fold in a figure of 8 over the instep of the boot.

Underneath the habit, breeches should match the colour of your habit.

Long, well-polished black boots, with a spur or dummy spur on the left boot only, should be worn. It is crucial to clean the underside of your boots, as these are very visible when riding side saddle. A cane is carried in the right hand to act instead of the right leg.

The rider is expected to wear make up under the veil. This should be subtle but enough to define the features of the face. No jewellery whatsoever should be worn.

Traditionally in the hunting field, unmarried ladies wore a navy habit with a bowler hat, while married ladies wore a black habit with silk hat if they were a subscriber, or a black habit and black bowler for less significant/important meets or while visiting another pack. This rule has now fallen by the way side although some judges still prefer to see a silk hat worn only with a black habit. All of the showing rules originated in turnout for the hunting field.

HORSE TURNOUT

Your mount should be immaculate with no marks or stains. The horse should be trimmed and plaited and, if needs be, chalked up to brighten white markings. Make up and hoof oil can all be used to enhance the appearance of your horse. Tails should be pulled or neatly plaited. Quarter markers, sharks teeth etc can be used and will be different, depending on the size and shape of your horse

.
In side saddle classes, horses are generally ridden in a double bridle, although pelhams are acceptable with double reins. All leatherwork should be well-cleaned and oiled, with the bit and visible buckles polished. If you are wearing a silk hat, you should have a double bridle/Pelham with double reins.
However if you a wearing a bowler, double or single reins are acceptable.

It goes without saying that your horse should be beautifully schooled and well practiced in his side saddle before you would ever expect a judge to ride him.

A special thank you for Ciara O’Connell, Kalindi Lawrence & Emma Richardson-Steele for providing us with this information. These general comments have been collated with the help of side saddle riding customers; but it is important to note some classes may have specific requirements that vary from the ones listed above.