Northern Ireland Carriage Driving Association

11/12/2023

Wishing all our Club members, their families, our supporters and friends a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

- From the NICDA Committee.

04/12/2023

03/12/2023

Don't be worried about trying to think of what Christmas gifts to buy your loved ones, we have that problem solved for you!!! The Horse sport Ireland Carriage Driving 2024 calendars are now for sale, with all funds raised going towards the running of the 2024 All Ireland Carriage Driving Championships. The calendars are retailing at €15/£15 per calendar. Local delivery Via HSICD/NICDA. (P+P €6 if required, which covers 1-3 calendars). Payment can be made by Paypal to [email protected] or by bank transfer(Details on request)Contact John Kennedy or fellow club committee members to place your order. You can also message the club page.

02/12/2023

23/11/2023

We are very sorry to report the passing of Eugene Larkin, who died this morning after a long illness.

Many of our club members and supporters will fondly remember Eugene, who was a prominent figure in local carriage driving circles and the British Driving Society NI Branch. He was a font of knowledge regarding carriages and a skilled, much sought after carriage restorer. Eugene was a very active supporter of our club over many years and a real gentleman. Our condolences to his family circle.

17/11/2023

REMINDER! ** NICDA – Club Meeting **

Will be held on Sunday 19th November 2023 at 2.00pm, Temple Golf Club, Boardmills.

Hope you can join us!

09/11/2023

** NICDA – Club Meeting **

On Sunday 19th November 2023 at 2.00pm, Temple Golf Club, Boardmills

It has been quite some time now since we held a Club meeting so it’s well overdue!

Rather than having the meeting in the evening and people travelling a distance in the dark, we thought we would try holding a more leisurely gathering on a Sunday afternoon. We hope you will come and support your club. Thank you.

NICDA Committee

Future Diary Date – Our NICDA AGM will be held on Thursday 15th February 2023 at 8.00pm at Meghaberry Community Centre.

05/11/2023

We are delighted to announce that £1,000 has been raised for the Northern Ireland Air Ambulance Charity!

This was thanks to the personal generosity of D. Scott Contractors and the Scott family who host our Terryglassog 2-day event. A sizeable contribution was also made from the ballot at our Annual Dinner Dance.

Thank you everyone!

04/11/2023

Provisional 2024 Event Calendar for NICDA and HSI.

03/11/2023

NICDA Dinner - looking forward to the Club dinner at The Temple Golf Club - we are gathering at 7pm and eating at 7.30pm.

Thank you everyone!

25/10/2023

NICDA ANNUAL DINNER DANCE & PRIZEGIVING ON SATURDAY 4TH NOVEMBER 2023

Bookings for the dinner will CLOSE on Friday evening, 27th October. The table plan and menu choices have to be provided to the venue on Saturday so if you would like to attend our Club's Social Event of the Year, please contact Denise on 07549868233 a.s.a.p!!

Many thanks everyone.

23/10/2023

Our Club was very sorry to hear the news that Matt (Matthew) McMillen had passed away on Sunday 22nd October at home. We send our sincere condolences to Evelyn, his wife of over 50 years on her loss.

Evelyn has been a member of our Club, as a competitor and friend for many years. Her husband Matt had a key role in the background at home, supporting her over the years as she pursued her love of equines, equine sport and carriage driving.

Our sympathies to Evelyn and the family circle.

03/10/2023

Hope to see you all there! Bookings are now being taken!🤩

17/09/2023

BC Championships at Ashfields - 2023

A fantastic result for Richard Logan and Team Logan at the BC Championships! Richard has won the title of Advanced Pony Pairs Champion!
Well done to everyone involved - it's a great result to finish off an extremely busy season!

Arthur Sheane also had a very successful competition finishing in 7th place out of 17 starters in a strong Novice Pony Class. All credit to Arthur and mum Georgina - what a brilliant finish to their first season of HDT competing! Onwards and upwards!

08/09/2023

Hope you can join us!

29/08/2023

Don't miss it ......!

28/08/2023

We are very sorry to hear of the passing of Christine Wright's grandparents Mr & Mrs Matt and Frances Meehan. Our sincere condolences to Christine, Alwyn Morrison and their family circle at this sad time.

27/08/2023

More International News!!

Richard Logan and Team Logan's quest to compete in the 2023 World Pony Pairs Championships is so close now!

Richard, his team and the three ponies are on the final stages of their journey to Oirschot in the Netherlands for the FEI Driving World Championship for Combined Ponies from 30 August - 03 September 2023.

Exciting times for Richard, Team Logan and NICDA! We wish him loads of luck!

27/08/2023

27/08/2023

21/08/2023

NICDA Lifetime Achievement Awards

The Club was delighted to present these awards at the All Ireland Championships to Hon Sarah Mullins, Anne Lyons and Gordon Bell in recognition of their lifetime commitment to our sport of horse driving trials. Jeffrey Lyons accepted the award on behalf of his mother.

21/08/2023

ALL IRELAND CARRIAGE DRIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS - 2023

Sincere and heartfelt thanks to our generous Sponsors of these Championships 👏👏😊

21/08/2023

ALL IRELAND CARRIAGE DRIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS 2023

RESULTS!

21/08/2023

ALL IRELAND CARRIAGE DRIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS – 18-20 August 2023

Hosted by NICDA at Castle Irvine, Necarne, Irvinestown

Well, that’s a wrap for another year!

An exciting 3 days of sport, fun and our fair share of drama! It has been some 12 years or more since NICDA held an event at Necarne and it was just great to return.

Things started well on Thursday 17th August with competitors arriving from the length and breadth of the country, North and South. Our GB visitors Robert Bowman and his Team had already arrived with their horse team and were well settled in Necarne enjoying the estate. This was a BC Regional Qualifier event for the British Championships at Ashfields in September. Our British Carriage Driving judges arrived from GB and Ireland – PoJ James Rooney, Sarah Louise Oxborrow and Sarah Mullins along with BC scorer Lucy McGill. Much anticipation by all for a great event!

Friday was dressage day and it was a real treat to drive in the Walled Garden arena. Everyone was beautifully turned out and the sun shone! Our three very experienced judges weren’t going to miss much as all angles were covered, but all the competitors greatly benefitted from their test reports.

We all walked the 7 fantastic marathon obstacles yet again several times with our backsteppers, attempting to learn our chosen route through each one in readiness for Saturday’s marathon. A Welcome Wine & Cheese provided by Sara Clinghan on Friday evening got everyone in fine form!

Then disaster! Storm Betty! Saturday morning dawned with chaos – the river has flooded and the ground was completely waterlogged. The absolutely fantastic marathon course that had taken all week to build had to be abandoned!

Time to regroup. The organisers made use of the walled garden arena to run the cones competition instead, which was brought forward a day. A tricky, but fair cones course made full use of the large arena.

While competitors drove cones, the intrepid NICDA course building team made heroic efforts all day to retrieve the marathon competition, dismantling and shifting obstacles into the fine arenas available to us at Necarne. By 6pm on Saturday, the new obstacles were ready for walking and the course was more or less ready! A very tired, aching bunch of men joined the grateful competitors for our Saturday evening dinner, prizegiving & entertainment.

Sunday brought marathon excitement! Competitors were so thankful to be able to have a marathon to drive at all given the state of the ground. Marathon ran smoothly and there was plenty of adrenaline and competition in the classes.

After the final prizegiving in the afternoon, everyone hit the road for home. A great weekend was had by all!

The NICDA Team were very pleased to pull it off given the challenges faced.

Sincere thanks to all our sponsors, stewards, supporters, competitors and the Necarne staff.

17/08/2023

All Ireland Carriage Driving Championships at Necarne, Irvinestown

Dressage Start Times

14/08/2023

All Ireland Carriage Driving Championships 2023

** The Necarne on-site cafe will not be open on Thursday 17th August as previously indicated**

The cafe will be open Friday 18th August - Sunday 20th August.

Thank you

11/08/2023

ENTRIES CLOSE TODAY 11TH AUGUST FOR THE ALL IRELAND CARRIAGE DRIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS, 18-20TH AUGUST AT NECARNE, IRVINESTOWN.

**PLEASE GET YOUR ENTRY IN IF YOU WISH TO COMPETE**

** HELPERS AND STEWARDS EXTREMELY WELCOME!**

Please contact Event Secretary, Denise Taylor - 07549868233

Thank you - We are all looking forward to an enjoyable weekend of good company and sport!

06/08/2023

THE ALL-IRELAND CARRIAGE DRIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
On 18-20 August 2023 - Necarne, Irvinestown

3-Day Event Hosted by NICDA
*Regional Qualifier for the British National Driving Championships*

PLEASE GET YOUR ENTRIES IN!

 RQ entries close on Tuesday 8th August
(Register on BC’s MyClubhouse)
 Club Class entries close on Friday 11th August

Dressage – Friday 18th
Marathon – Saturday 19th
(2 sections with 7 obstacles - 6 for Novice Classes, 5 for
Prenovice class, 4 for VSE Class) with Cool Down.
Cones - Sunday 20th

Entry fee is inclusive of stabling on site:
• £125 for singles turnouts
• £150 for multiples turnouts
• £105 for Junior drivers
(Discount of £10 for second entry from same household)

Electric hook-ups are available to book.

All entries and enquiries please to Denise Taylor by Whatsapp/Text - 07549868233

Social events on-site:
Friday evening – Welcome Wine and Cheese
Saturday evening – Dinner and prize giving

The Café will be open Thursday – Sunday.

DON'T MISS OUT ON THE BIG DRIVING EVENT OF THE YEAR!

25/07/2023

All Ireland Carriage Driving Championships - 2023

Schedule

14/07/2023

Shanes Castle 2DE - 8/9th July 2023 Marathon Results!

14/07/2023

!! ATTENTION COMPETITORS AND HELPERS !!

NICDA’s AUGHNACLOY 2-DAY EVENT ON 22-23 JULY HAS BEEN CANCELLED!

Poor ground conditions at the event field today on inspection along with the unfortunate prospect of yet more rain forecast for next week has led to the decision being made to cancel. It is very disappointing, but we are at the mercy of the weather!

Our thanks to the Event Organiser Dominic Muldoon, his Team and the Landowner. We all look forward to next year’s Aughnacloy event, which is always enjoyable.

12/07/2023

NICDA’s 2-DAY CARRIAGE DRIVING EVENT AT AUGHNACLOY!
- Saturday 22nd & Sunday 23rd July 2023.

Event Organiser: Dominic Muldoon

Format:

Saturday: Dressage and Cones.
Sunday: Marathon – Section A on country roads (groom & driver please to wear hi-vis). Section B of 6 Obstacles. Cool down.
Parking is available on Friday.

Entries to Denise Taylor by WhatsApp/text – 07549868233. Entries by close on Friday 14th July if at all possible. Also please give any groom or carriage sharing details on entering.

Entry Fee: £60 & £40 for Juniors. Discount given for a second entry from the same household. Fees are payable on the day to Denise Taylor please.

A chip van will be on-site on Saturday and Sunday.

Event details: Usual event field on Ravella Road, Aughnacloy.

** Helpers and stewards are needed !!

Looking forward to seeing everyone for a fun weekend!