Side saddle event

The Tipperary Foxhounds are holding a side-saddle day followed by their hunt ball on Saturday 27 February. The meet is taking place in Cloneen and there will be a stirrup cup in the grounds of Friarsgrange, by kind permission of Mr and Mrs Tomas Ronan. Tickets are €50 for ladies to hunt or €100 for ladies to both hunt and attend the hunt ball – partners welcome at the same rates. Please contact Jacqui Freyne on 087-2629950 or email jacqui.freyne@gmail.com with any queries and all guests must book. Those wishing to book tickets for the ball, priced €60, please contact Trish Mulhall on 087-2750773. The venue is The Minella Hotel, Clonmel. Dancing and music by Brass & Co as well as an auction.

Curragh partnership

The Curragh Racecourse announced an agreement to develop a partnership with Al Ain Racecourse in Abu Dhabi. Al Ain Racecourse opened for racing in January 2014 and is one of five racecourses located in the UAE. The initiative will include reciprocal races at both racecourses with Al Ain staging the Curragh Racecourse Home of the Irish Classics Race on 29 January. The race day will be attended by Patrick Hennessy, the Irish Ambassador to The UAE. Al Ain will add their name to a race at the Curragh this summer.

Course director of Al Ain Racecourse, Faisal Al Rahmani added: “We are absolutely delighted to partner with such a prestigious racecourse as the Curragh.”

Commercial manager of the Curragh, Evan Arkwright, said: “We are delighted to further enhance the very positive relationship between the Curragh and the UAE with the agreement to develop a partnership with Al Ain. The history and culture of Ireland and the UAE is deep rooted in horses and it is therefore very appropriate that we continue to develop these close links.”

Lancelot Awards

The shortlist of nominees for the ninth annual Association of Irish Riding Clubs (AIRC) Lancelot Awards has been confirmed. These awards recognise the efforts of the AIRC’s volunteer members.

There are four categories of awards on offer this year, including the club of the year, club secretary of the year, club member of the year and also the person of the year award.

AIRC chair Tony Ennis said: “I would like to thank everyone who put forward nominations for our awards and as an organisation it is important that we recognise and value the immense contribution our volunteers make each year.

“I would like to wish all of our nominees the very best of luck and look forward to meeting them all at our awards ceremony next month,” Ennis said.

The results will be announced at the association’s annual general meeting on Saturday 13 February.